John Abbott
Jerry Douglas
John Abbott has always been the glue in the Abbott family. He raised his three adolescent children Jack, Ashley and Traci, after his wife Dina left him. The patriarch did not allow his duties as a single dad prevent him from having a love life of his own. John wed Jill Abbott, despite her reputation for going after older, wealthy men. John ended the union, however, after finding out that Jill and Jack had had an affair. In time, an estranged John and Jack reconciled. John moved on to other romances with Lauren Fenmore's mother Joanna Manning, social worker Ellen Winters and Jessica Blair. Alas, John and Jessica's union was short-lived. He lovingly granted his bride, who was dying of AIDS, a divorce so she could wed her daughter Christine's birth father.
John's business rivals for control of Jabot have included ex-wives Jill and Dina and also Victor Newman, who assumed control of Jabot after Jack took the company public. In time, John and Jill re-married. He became a father again after Jill gave birth to their son Billy. John suffered a stroke and was cared for by his friend and longtime Abbott family maid Mamie Johnson. John recovered and divorced Jill a second time.
After spending time in New York, John returned to Genoa City, bringing a now teen Billy with him. John welcomed his granddaughter Colleen into his home. He was ecstatic when the Abbotts were finally able to wrest control of Jabot from Victor.
Next, John fell for the charms and neediness of Gloria Fisher, not knowing her sons were town scoundrels Michael Baldwin and Kevin Fisher. John was especially hostile toward Kevin, who had come close to killing Colleen in a fire at Gina's. Ironically, after John took a tumble down the Abbott mansion staircase, Kevin was the one who saved him. John not only wed Gloria, but he also remarried her after finding out that Gloria was still legally tied to the villainous Tom. (However, John and Gloria's union was later declared invalid because John's attorney failed to file the marriage license.) Sensing that Tom was going to harm Ashley and other members of his family, John shot Tom dead. Rather than go through a scandalous trial, John opted to plead guilty to killing Tom and accepted a seven-year prison sentence. John was visited on a semi-regular basis by family and loved ones, including longtime friend Katherine Chancellor, who kept him abreast of developments at Jabot.
After years of holding his family together, John began showing the effects of the pressure he had been under. He suffered a stroke while in prison and was admitted to the hospital, where he appeared to be recovering. However, a second, more serious stoke left him on life support. After much debate, his family made the heart-wrenching decision to honor John's "do not resuscitate" order and turn off his respirator. Family and friends gathered around John's bedside to say a tearful goodbye as the much-loved patriarch passed away.
John was not completely out of his son's life, however. Jack was shocked when his father's spirit appeared to him, criticizing him for his deceitful ways and admonishing him for his cruel treatment of Gloria.
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