General Hospital's Ron Hale dies aged 78 as fans pay tribute to 'always smiling' star

General Hospital star Ron Hale died at 78 in his home in St George, South Carolina.

According to an online obituary, Ron died on August 27. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed. An obituary read: "Ronald Hale Thigpen, 78, of St. George, passed away on August 27, 2024. Ronald was born on January 2, 1946, in Grand Rapids, Michigan a son of the late James Ray Thigpen, Sr. and Elinor Jane Doerr Thigpen. He attended Furman University and was an actor of stage, television and movies. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He appeared in many plays with Columbia's Trustus Theatre which was started by his brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Kay Thigpen. He also starred in soap operas, Ryan's Hope as Dr. Rodger Coleridge and on General Hospital as Mike Corbin."

Ron's death has affected fans and fellow actors, given how substantial his career in Hollywood was. He's well-known for portraying Mike Corbin on the decades-long soap opera from 1995 to 2010. On top of that, he also reprised his role as the character on Port Charles from 1997 to 2000. Others shows that he's been on include Ryan's hope as Dr. Roger Coleridge from 1975 to 1989, and a brief stint on Search for Tomorrow."

It added: "Surviving are his nieces and nephews, Lori Brown (Janet Brabham), Max Brabham, Erin Wilson (Laurens) and, Marc Brown (Betsy)." In a statement, the official X account for General Hospital added: "The entire General Hospital Family is saddened to hear of Ron Hale’s passing. We would like to extend our condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time. He was an incredible actor and an unforgettable colleague. May he rest in peace."

Days of Our Lives star Billy Warlock shared his condolences for Ron on social media through a sweet tribute. "It's with a heavy heart that we've lost another great one," Billy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "My dear friend Ron Hale has passed away. Ron was an amazing talent and an even better friend. I will miss you." Fellow General Hospital star Jon Lindstrom honored Ron on social media also.

"My deep condolences Billy. I loved the guy," Lindstrom wrote on X. "He was one I could count on to show up for a High Lonesome show or some other appearance. Always supportive. My fave memory was sitting w/ him on a LA/NY flight w/ Richard Simmons in front of us. Yep, we all had a blast! R.I.P. #RonHale."

Along with Billy and Ron, fans of General Hospital flooded X with their heartwarming posts about their love for Ron in the wake of his death. One fan penned: "He was one of my nicest customers at Ace! Always smiling and genuine! So sorry to hear that he passed away… My heartfelt condolences to the family."

A second went on to write: "Sorry to hear of his passing, he was always humble and genuine." "My heart is broken for the entire daytime community, past and present. Saturday we lost Drake Hogestyn. Today we lost Ron Hale. So much heartbreaking news this past month, let alone this year," commented another.

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.