The Young And The Restless’ John Abbott, Jerry Douglas, Dies At 88

The Young and the Restless star Jerry Douglas, who played Abbott patriarch, John Abbott, from 1982 until 2006, passed away at age 88 after a short illness. He would have turned 89 on November 12.

The Young And The Restless News – Jerry Douglas Left His Mark On The Young And The Restless

As Jack (Peter Bergman), Traci (Beth Maitland), and Ashley’s (Eileen Davidson) father, John Abbott was the ultimate mature hero who loved both his business and his children fiercely, while raising them on his own after wife, Dina (Marla Adams) left him.

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He later married Jill Foster (Jess Walton), who both slept with his son, Jack, and who gave him another son, Billy (Jason Thompson). The Abbott siblings are still mainstays on the soap to this day, although John died on-screen back in 2006. Still, Douglas would occasionally appear on the daytime drama he called home and the last time we saw him on screen was as recently as 2016. Y&R stars could also frequently be seen socializing with Douglas in their social media photos.

Y&R Mourns The Loss Of Jerry Douglas

After Douglas’ passing was made public, Y&R Executive Producer Tony Morina released a statement.

“On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to the Douglas family on the passing of Jerry Douglas,” Morina wrote. “Jerry came to Y&R in 1982 with an impressive resume of credits. Our show was lucky to have an actor of his caliber join the Y&R cast and introduce the audience to the iconic Abbott family. His contribution to the legacy of Y&R as Abbott family patriarch, John Abbott is still felt to this day. He will be sorely missed.”

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— SOS/CTS/HH (@SoapOperaSpy) November 11, 2021

The Young And The Restless News – Jerry Douglas Led A Long And Full Life

Douglas was born in Massachusetts and attended Brandeis University where he studied economics and played for the college football team. However, after graduating, he decided to give acting a try and appeared in numerous movies and television series throughout his career, including Mommie Dearest, JFK, and Avalanche in feature films, and Melrose Place, Cold Case, and Arrested Development on TV.

Douglas is survived by his wife Kym, children Jod, Hunter, and Avra, and two grandchildren.

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