John Callahan from 'All My Children' Dies at 66 — Meet His Ex-wife and Only Daughter

Beloved ‘All My Children’ soap opera star John Callahan passed away at the age of 66 from a stroke.

On March 27, 2020, actor John Callahan suffered a massive stroke at his Palm Desert, California home.

The star of "Santa Barbara," "All My Children," "Days of Our Lives," & "The Bay" was rushed to Eisenhower Medical Center by paramedics and put on life support.

John studied law at the University of California at Berkeley as a young man and left college to become an actor

A SAD GOODBYE

When it was clear that John was close to death, his ex-wife Eva LaRue and his only daughter, Kaya McKenna, were allowed to say their goodbyes.

Later on the evening of March 28, the hospital contacted the family and informed them that the actor had passed away peacefully.

TRIBUTES TO A STAR

The first tribute to John Callahan was from his ex-wife and "All My Children" alum who shared a moving post on Instagram, along with a gallery of snaps of the actor. Eva wrote:

"Kaya and I are beyond broken-hearted, so stunned, sorry that my thoughts are a mess. (...) I am at a complete loss for words right now for you."

DAYTIME EMMYS MAKES ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Daytime Emmys official Twitter broke the sad news of John's death on Saturday night, along with a recent photo of the actor. They wrote:

"We're devastated to share that John Callahan passed away earlier today. Sending our deepest condolences to Eva La Rue and all his loved ones."

John's former colleagues and fellow actors have also shared their heartfelt condolences on social media, as well as tributes to the soap opera star. Kelly Ripa wrote simply:

"Because there are no words, all i can muster is Rest In Peace #johncallahan My heart breaks for you @evalarue and @kaya_callahan ?????"

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who would become a star as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," revealed that when she played John's daughter on "All my Children," the actor became the father figure she was lacking. Sarah made a moving promise on Instagram:

"I promise you GP just as you were there for me, I will always be there for smoosh (Kaya) and @evalarue as well."

"All my Children" actress Susan Lucci who played Erica Kane for 41 years, extended her sympathies and her prayers to John's ex-wife and daughter and wrote:

"John left us way too early—I am so grateful I got to work with him—I will always remember that ever-present twinkle in his eye? RIP, John"

DASHING LEADING MAN

John studied law at the University of California at Berkeley as a young man and left college to become an actor. He broke into soaps in 1984, with the role of Leo Russell on "General Hospital."

In 1986, John moved into prime time TV with the CBS hit series "Falcon Crest," in which he played billionaire greek industrialist Eric Stavros for two years. He followed his stint on "Falcon Crest" with a role in the daytime soap "Santa Barbara."

But it was his work on "All my Children," as Edmund Gray where he played opposite actress Eva LaRue. His onscreen marriage to Eva LaRue/ Maria Santos became the real thing in 1996, and in 2001, they welcomed their daughter Kaya.

A LOVING FAMILY MAN

In 2005, the couple divorced, but their relationship remained amicable. John and Eva were close friends and co-parents until his death, and they were both devoted to their daughter, now 18 years old.

THE YANKEES FAN

From 2008 to 2010, John starred in the soap "Days of Our Lives" as Dr. Richard Baker. Since 2014, John starred in a series of films, namely "Tentacle 8," "Zoe Gone," "Do It or Die," "Doggone Hollywood," "Doggone Adventure," and "Loyalty."

The dashing actor was known for his good looks, his off-screen zany humor, and his passion for baseball.