Kathryn Hays, 'Star Trek' guest actor and 'As the World Turns' matriarch, has passed away at 88

Kathryn Hays as Gem in Star Trek “The Empath”

APRIL 10, 2022 - Star Trek guest actor and As The World Turns star Kathryn Hays passed away March 25th at age 88. Hays played the part of Gem in the 1968 Original Series episode “The Empath”. Her death was reported late last week by the Connecticut Post.

Born in Princeton, IL and raised in the midwest, Hays made her way to the stage in numerous summer stock productions, as well as Broadway shows including Hot September and The Irregular Verb to Love. Her television career began in 1952 in an episode of Guiding Light. In the 1960s, Hays took on roles in numerous television shows, including Bonanza!, The Lieutenant, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Later in her career, Hays appeared in episodes of Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, and One Life to Live. Among her many credits on both stage and screen, Kathryn Hays is best known for her performance as family matriarch Kim Hughes on the long-running series As The World Turns, a role she held for 38 years until the series ended in 2010.

According to her family and friends, Hays loved to laugh, and had a sense of humor that would rival others. She valued her family greatly, making sure that her aging parents were well taken care of, and raised her own family with love and kindness. Kathryn Hays is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Sherri and Bob Mancusi, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.