Legendary Soap Leading Lady Dead at 89: ‘It Just Doesn’t Seem Possible’

Ann Flood passed away on October 7.

We agree wholeheartedly as well as brokenheartedly with The Edge of Night alum Sharon Gabet: It’s hard to believe that we’ve lost Ann Flood, who played Nancy Pollock Karr on the CBS (and then ABC) soap for nearly a quarter of a century. On screen, the actress radiated such a warmth — and when called for, a fire — that it scarcely occurred to us that that flame could be snuffed out.

“With great sadness… I found out yesterday that our dear Ann Flood passed away on October 7” at age 89, wrote Gabet, who was the show’s resident supervixen, Raven Alexander. “She now joins her husband of 61 years and the rest of my beloved castmates already in heaven.

“What a fabulous life she had and what a party they all must be having!” she continued. “Here are a couple shots of Ann and Herb from my 1984 wedding and a shot from a company party for The Edge of Night. It just doesn’t seem possible… ”

In addition to becoming that daytime drama’s longest-running and arguably most beloved star, Flood went along for the ride as it transitioned from live to taped broadcasts and switched networks. But, though The Edge of Night’s Nancy is certainly her best-known soap role, it’s hardly her only one.

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Before being cast as Mike Karr’s journalist better half, Flood had brought to life another reporter, Liz Fraser, on From These Roots (1958-61). After The Edge of Night was cancelled in 1984, the two-time Emmy nominee tackled the role of villainess Ella Hobbs on Search for Tomorrow and played society dames on Another World, One Life to Live, As the World Turns and All My Children.

Flood’s All My Children part was especially fun, as snobbish Bitsy Davidson carried on with daughter Cecily’s money-hungry fiancé, Sean Cudahy!

Pay your respects to all of the daytime vets that we’ve lost in 2022 as you scroll through the below photo gallery.