Beloved GH veteran Susan Brown has died

Classic General Hospital star Susan Brown (ex-Dr. Gail Adamson Baldwin) has passed away.

Some sad news shook General Hospital fans over the weekend: Alzheimer's took the life of Susan Brown (ex-Dr. Gail Adamson Baldwin), who passed away at the age of 86.

"Sad to say one of my best friends and co-stars, Susan Brown, passed away today," Kin Shriner (Scotty Baldwin) wrote on Twitter. "She played Gail Baldwin, my mother. RIP, Susan. I will miss all our laughs."

Wrote Lynn Herring (Lucy Coe): "I am so honored to have worked with Susan, an amazing woman and the only one I knew who could keep you in line, Kin Shriner! We will all miss her so! "

Brown was born in California and started her lifelong acting career via soap operas. She started as a temporary replacement for the characters of Nancy Pollock Karr on The Edge of Night and Liz Fraser Allen on From These Roots, but she also took on longer positions like As the World Turns' Adelaide Fitzgibbon, The Young Marrieds' Ann Reynolds, Bright Promise's Martha Furguson, Santa Barbara's Dorothy Lane, and The Young and the Restless' Fran Whitaker.

Brown's most iconic role, however, was that of General Hospital's Dr. Gail Adamson Baldwin, which she played from 1977 to 1985 followed by on-again, off-again appearances on both GH and its spinoff Port Charles. Her final episode happened in 2004, when both she and Peter Hansen (Lee Baldwin) appeared for a special story honoring the late Anna Lee, who played Lila Quartermaine.

In addition to Shriner and Herring, many of Brown's former costars paid tribute to the actress via social media over the weekend.

"It's a very sad day in Port Charles as the wonderful Susan Brown ("Gail Baldwin") passed away today," wrote the show's executive producer, Frank Valentini. "My sincerest condolences to her family and to all who knew this amazing woman."

Wrote Jackie Zeman (Bobbie Spencer): "Kin I am so sorry for your loss. I will miss Susan too. She was so very special, on set and in friendship. I remember all the good times we shared on our General Hospital lunch breaks at at her amazing dinner parties at her beautiful home. RIP Susan + God Bless."

"Loved her on General Hospital and know she meant the world to you," wrote Martha Byrne (ex-Andrea Floyd, GH; ex-Lily Snyder, ATWT). "RIP Gail."

Shared Wally Kurth (Ned Ashton, GH; Justin Kiriakis, Days of our Lives): "I loved Susan Brown. What a laugh she had. What a radiant soul. I wish I had had the opportunity to work with her more. RIP Susan."

"Rest in peace Susan Brown," tweeted Kristina Wager (ex-Felicia Jones, GH). "Your engaging smile always lightened the room. I'll be forever grateful for that comfort."

Shared Jon Lindstrom (Kevin Collins/Ryan Chamberlain, GH): "I am saddened to hear that Susan Brown has left us. She was one of the finest people I knew and an actor whom you couldn't help but learn from every time you were lucky enough to work with her."

Brown, who won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work on GH in 1979, also had many non-soap credits to her name. Her film roles include playing former First Lady Pat Nixon in the TV movie The Final Days as well as Nancy Reagan in Without Warning: the James Brady Story. Her television credits include Beverly Hills 90210, Fraisier, Murder, She Wrote, and Mariah. Brown also ran an interior design firm, where she focused on providing decorating services to her friends in the Hollywood area.

Would you like to leave your condolences for Brown and her family? What are your favorite memories of Dr. Gail Baldwin? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.