General Hospital Says Goodbye To Dr. Monica Quartermaine Eight Months After The Death Of Leslie Charleson

Port Charles laid one of its own to rest on Thursday in the first of a two-part farewell to both Dr. Monica Quartermaine and her portrayer, the late Leslie Charleson.

Though Charleson died in January at age 79, it wasn't until last week that General Hospital addressed the fate her character, explaining that Monica passed peacefully in her sleep. Charleson played the iconic daytime character for nearly five decades, first stepping into the role in 1977, and the tears being shed for Monica by her closest friends and family members feel all too real.

Thursday's episode found everyone reflecting on their long history with Monica, whether it was Jason (Steve Burton) breaking down in tears at the church, or Ned (Wally Kurth) taking stock of the complicated relationship they developed over the years. And then there was Drew (Cameron Mathison), who insisted on attending the memorial despite the Quartermaine family being less than welcoming.

"It just doesn't seem real," Jason told Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) at the top of the hour when she met him at the church, where Laura (Genie Francis) offered her sincerest condolences. Meanwhile, Ned echoed a feeling of disbelief to Olivia (Lisa LoCicero), telling her, "There's some part of me that just doesn't believe that it's possible. None of this is happening."

The service itself, a celebration of Monica's life, included moving speeches from Ned, who says the house feels empty without her; Elizabeth, who spoke to Monica's patience and willingness to teach; Laura, who recalled how poised Monica was, both in work and in life; Jason, who held back tears as he reflected on Monica's motherly devotion; and even Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), who paid an "unorthodox" tribute to her former rival, praising her devotion to important causes like fighting HIV; and Michael (Rory Gibson), who assured everyone that his grandmother's presence will never be absent from their lives.

But no one struggled to face their complex emotions over Monica's passing quite like her stubborn sister-in-law Tracy (Jane Elliot), who looked as though she could fall to pieces at any moment. In fact, when the time came for Tracy to speak during the memorial, she shut down, insisting that she wasn't up to the task. In an interview with Variety, Elliot says that Charleson's death left two voids in her life, one as an acting partner and one as a friend.

"It's hard enough to mourn somebody's death once, but then to do it again," Elliot says. "One was obviously the person, and the other was the character, but at a certain point they blended. You know, Monica was Leslie, and Leslie was Monica. I had shared experience with Monica, and I had shared experience with Leslie, so she left me twice."

Overall, Monica was remembered by the residents of Port Charles as being a "brilliant surgeon," a fiercely protective family member and, as Stella (Vernee Watson-Johnson) put it so simply, truly "one of a kind." Unfortunately, things took a dramatic turn at the end of the hour when Drew arrived at the church, drawing intense glares from nearly everyone in attendance.

General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini confirmed the news of Charleson's passing on Jan. 12, posting this message to the show's Instagram account: "Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew. I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set. On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time."

What did you think of General Hospital's tribute to Monica (and Charleson) thus far? What are you hoping to see in Friday's conclusion? Drop a comment with your thoughts, including your favorite Monica-centric storylines, below. How will you choose to remember her?