Christopher Pennock Dies: 'General Hospital' Actor Was 76

Broadway and television actor Christopher Pennock has died. Pennock, who starred in a number of daytime dramas including General Hospital, died on Feb. 12 at the age of 76. At this time, Pennock's cause of death is not known, though he had reportedly been hospitalized for several days, according to Broadway World. Deadline reports Pennock was diagnosed with melanoma last summer, though it is unclear if that contributed to his death. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Pennock, and daughter Tara.

The actor's death was first announced on the Dark Shadows News Facebook page Friday, which shared the news with "tremendous sadness." The page reported Pennock "died peacefully in his sleep in hospital." The page did not provide further details, though it provided a quote from the actor's wife, who said, "On this first day of the Tibetan Buddhist New Year, Chris has transitioned into the pure land of Dewachen with complete enlightenment leaving only a rainbow body behind." Lynn added that "as he leaves us all with all the love we have for him in our hearts, he transitions on one of the Four Wheel Days called Chotrul Dechen [Day of Miracles] very auspicious."

At the time of his passing, the late actor had a decades-long career under his belt that began in 1966 when he performed as an understudy in a Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo. He went on to appear on Broadway in A Patriot for Me and Abelard and Heloise, among several others. He got his big TV break after he was hired by Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis to portray Gabriel Collins and later, Cyrus Longworth. He remained on the series, taking on various roles, until it came to an end in 1971. He went on to star in the franchise's second feature film spinoff, 1971's Night of Dark Shadows.

In the decades that followed, Pennock went on to add numerous other credits to his name, including appearances on Cannon, The Love Boat, Cagney & Lacey, Melrose Place, Simon & Simon, Dynasty, The A-Team, Silk Stalkings, and Baywatch. He also starred in numerous films, such as Savages, California Suite, and Frances. He also made a name for himself in daytime TV, appearing as Mitch Williams in General Hospital from 1978-1979 and Steven Petrie in several The Young and the Restless episodes in 1986. One of his final credits was appearing as Tyler Sloan in Brandon Riley Mille's streaming series High.

Following his death, those close to him paid their respects, with Dark Shadows actor David Selby remembering Pennock in a blog post as "one of the most talented and dedicated actors I have had the privilege to work with." Selby said Pennock's "spirit and joy of life will be with me and those who were lucky enough to cross his path."