I am an unapologetic fan of the soaps. Did I mention I won’t apologize?

I’ve been watching Young & The Restless since college. One look at “Nicolas Newman,” and I started scheduling my classes around it. When I wasn’t drooling over Nick and Malcolm (Shemar Moore) I could tolerate some scenes sans the man candy, especially the ones with Jeanne Cooper (Katherine Chancellor). She was straight out of the old guard–dyed blond hair, fancy clothes and pointy red nails. I enjoyed all the story lines they featured that old lady in, from her recovery from alcoholism, her discovery that Kane was/wasn’t her grandson, and that Devon was her real grandson, her multiple strokes, tumors and heart attacks, and her epic fights with that other chick who’s name escapes me at the moment. Oh yeah, her name is “Jill.”

Well, this week I heard that Jeanne had died at the age of 84, after forty years as “Katherine” on Y & R. Incidentally, The Hubster was sad too, because he was (forced) to watch the show during the summer because my mother-in-law is also a big fan. The last time I saw her as Mrs. Chancellor, I knew there was something…different. Like a light inside her was beginning to dim…and it reminded me of when my father was dying. Watching the spirit ebb is such a surreal thing.

RIP Jeanne. You’ll be missed.