With deep sorrow, we share the news of the passing of a ‘General Hospital’ star.

The actor, best known for originating and playing Luke Spencer on General Hospital from 1978 to 2015, died on Sunday, Dec. 14, following complications from an operation three days prior, per TV Insider.

In 1978, Geary was hired to join General Hospital in what was meant to be a 13-week stint. The series was close to cancellation, but executive producer Gloria Monty was taking big swings to turn it around, and Luke became a central part of that.

The character went from what Geary described as “a real bastard” to a more sympathetic figure and one of the most beloved characters in soap opera history. He stepped away from General Hospital in 2015, making one final cameo on the series in 2017.

Geary took pleasure in the changes retirement brought to his life. Here is what the actor shared about his final decade.

He left General Hospital in 2015

Geary was a 16-time nominee for the Daytime Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series. He won a record eight times. After all those years of stirring performances, fans were saddened in spring 2015 when Geary confirmed he’d be leaving the series.

“I’m excited to raise the curtain on act 3, to reinvent myself in my new home to pursue whatever opportunity there may be. It’s an exciting prospect to me,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2015.

Geary and husband Claudio Gama moved full-time to Amsterdam in 2015, a decision he praised in the years that followed. Geary even provided backup vocals and appeared in a music video for Jim Warren’s song, “I Love Amsterdam.”

“Amsterdam is a city of amazing qualities,” Geary told Soaps In Depth in 2019. “Cobblestone streets designed 400 years ago for walking and cycling, tree-lined canals and quirky historical buildings, people from all over the world wishing you a good morning in every conceivable language… I love it here.”