Q: I have watched "Days of Our Lives" since it went on the air in 1965. I often wondered what happened to the original cast. Can you please give me an update as to where they are now? — Ellen on Jupiter, Florida

A: There is sad news and happy news. Several members from the original cast are deceased, but many are still acting or have gone on to other careers.

Macdonald Carey (Tom Horton) and Francis Reid (Alice Horton) were the parents everyone wished they had. Carey, who was very open about his struggles with alcohol, died of lung cancer at 83. Reid had told Carey it was bad enough to be married to an alcoholic; she did not want to work with one. He listened to her and got sober. Reid died at age 94 following a stroke.

John Lipton, who played Tommy, the family war hero, died in 1993 following a heart attack. Edward Mallory (Bill) died in 2007. At the time, he was married to actress Susanne Zenor, whom he met when she was playing Margo on the show. Clive Clerk (David Martin) left acting after his stint on DOOL. He was a renowned abstract artist when he died at 57. Charla Doherty, who played Julie when she came on the scene, died at age 48 after an accidental fall.

That's enough of the grim reaper stuff. Susan Flannery's character Laura loved brothers Bill and Mickey Horton. After leaving the show she went over to "The Bold and the Beautiful." Her portrayal of mercurial Stephanie Forrester won her legions of Emmy Awards and fans. When the actress decided it was time to retire the folks at "The Bold and the Beautiful" knew she was irreplaceable. Her terminal cancer storyline was amazing.

John Clarke (Mickey on "Days of Our Lives") and his wife of 50 years, Patricia, are enjoying retirement in LA.

Denise Alexander (Susan) went over to "General Hospital" to portray heroic Lesley Webber. At one point the character was killed off. But then they brought her back. From time to time the now-alive character is still mentioned. Still active as an actress, Alexander has two loves: protecting animals and spending time with her, husband Richard Cola. She met Cola when he was on "Days" as Tony. After "Days" he switched to directing and joined Alexander in the care and keeping of animals.

Maree Cheatham played Sister Marie. Cheatham, who married in 1998, is acting all the time. She has hopscotched such soaps as "Search for Tomorrow." Her movies include "Beetlejuice." Her recent prime-time visits include "Hot in Cleveland" and "Dexter." She has also appeared in many national commercials since leaving "Days."

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Jose Mesa