Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Spencer, RN, is a made-up character on the ABC soap series General Hospital. Jacklyn Zeman plays this character. After playing Lana McClain on the sister show One Life to Live, she debuted in December 1977. Zeman continued to be in General Hospital until July 13, 2010.
When news came out that beloved “General Hospital” actor Bobbie Spencer had d!ed suddenly, it shocked and saddened the daytime soap world. Fans of the long-running soap show were devastated when they discovered how the talented actress who had played the sassy nurse for decades had d!ed.
After working in the entertainment business for over 50 years, Bobbie became a beloved icon for show fans, and her de@th saddened everyone who knew her.
How did Bobbie Spencer d!e?
A nurse on the long-running soap opera “General Hospital,” Jacklyn Zeman (nominated for an Emmy for her part), p@ssed away on Tuesday(9 May 2023) in Thousand Oaks, California. They put her age at 70. According to her loved ones, her p@ssing at Los Robles Regional Medical Center was believed to be the result of a “short battle” with c@ncer.
Ms. Zeman was one of the longest-running cast members of any soap opera for her role as Barbara Jean Spencer, aka Bobbie. Her first appearance on “General Hospital” was in 1977, and she appeared in about 900 episodes. “General Hospital” has been on ABC since 1963, and it follows the lives of people who live and work in the rich town of Port Charles, New York.
The FOX 13 News Utah wrote this on Twitter:
Jacklyn Zeman, who played nurse Bobbie Spencer on ABC’s iconic soap opera ‘General Hospital’ has d!ed at the age of 70. https://t.co/UNGvjMS6IG
— FOX 13 News Utah (@fox13) May 12, 2023
Former Florida prostitute and baby-abandoner Bobbie was formerly a nursing student who competed for the attention of a law student called Scotty Baldwin. She was the younger sibling of Anthony Geary’s Luke Spencer, who also starred in the show.
Ms. Zeman depicted Bobbie as a tough but caring nurse who had overcome adversity to become who she is today. She justified her tough upbringing before Scotty, saying she was never given anything easy.
“I wanted Bobbie to be bouncy and have a positive aura and energy,” she said in an interview last year with TV Insider. “I wanted her to have intelligence, humor, and a love of people. Bobbie came from a dysfunctional background but wanted to have kids and be a mother.”
“I wanted the character to be perky,” she explained, “and to come in like a hurricane.” Ms. Zeman’s work on the show earned her four nominations for a Daytime Emmy, and she received a fifth mention in 2021 for her work on another daytime drama, “The Bay.”
Jacklyn Lee Zeman was born in Englewood, New Jersey, on March 6, 1953. However, she spent much of her childhood in Bergenfield. She was the eldest of three daughters born to IBM engineer Richard Zeman and his wife, a Scholastic magazine employee named Rita (Duhart) Zeman.
Her daughter, Cassidy Zee Macleod, started taking ballet classes when she was 5. She eventually relocated to New York City when she was 15 to further her dance career and attend New York University for a semester. She began her soap opera career in 1976 on “One Life to Live” before switching to “General Hospital” the following year.
Ms. Macleod, another daughter, Lacey Rose Gorden, two sisters, Lauren Fischetti and Carol Kolb, and two grandkids survive the Calabasas, California-based Ms. Zeman. She was divorced from her husband, Steve Gribbin, the father of her daughters, and disc jockey Murray Kaufman, aka Murray the K.
The 60th anniversary of the “General Hospital” premiere was marked in April. According to Ms. Macleod, her mother made one of her final TV appearances in the show that month, which focused on a nurses’ ball.
You can also read about other fatalities of famous personalities:
- Charlie Rock Ld De@th: How Terror Squad Member P@ssed Away?
- Zeman Cause of De@th: What Happened to Emmy-nominated Actress?
- Ray Liotta Cause of De@th Finally Confirmed After One Year
In a tweet on Wednesday, the show’s executive producer Frank Valentini said of her, “Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work.”
You can check out Frank Valentini’s tweet right here:
On behalf of our @GeneralHospital family, I am heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved @JackieZeman. Just like her character, the legendary Bobbie Spencer, she was a bright light and true professional that brought so much positive energy with her to work. pic.twitter.com/DxGdjYavab
— Frank Valentini (@valentinifrank) May 11, 2023
Ms. Macleod, her mother, was quite taken by the “strong-willed” part of Bobbie, and she and her sister could see their mother’s role in others when some of the nurses were taking care of her and mentioned how Bobbie had inspired them.
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