Days of Our Lives: Remembering Caroline Brady

Days of Our Lives' Caroline Brady was a fixture in Salem for 35 years.

First debuting in 1983, Caroline was in some ways the antithesis of soft-spoken, genteel Alice Horton. She was a fiery redhead who wasn't afraid to speak her mind to her four children and was the head of a mainly blue-collar family that soon became best friends (and sometimes lovers!) with the founding family of Salem.

Actress Peggy McCay's death in October 2018 leaves a hole in the DAYS canvas that can't quite be filled.

Here is TV Fanatic's tribute to Caroline Brady. Check out our favorite memories and share yours in the comments.

1. Caroline's Devotion to Her Children

Caroline was a devoted mother not only to her four biological children but to orphans Frankie and Max, who she and Shawn adopted. She was especially protective of Max and ended up behind bars when Max's biological father, the violent Trent Robbins, collapsed in her arms after being stabbed. Caroline was sad to see Max go when he left Salem, but was thrilled that he had married her granddaughter Chelsea.

2. Caroline's Relationship with Her Daughters

Although she loved all of her children fiercely, Caroline didn't always get along with her daughters. She and Shawn were estranged from Kimberly for a while and later, Caroline had harsh words for Kayla when Kayla pursued Kim's ex, Shane Donovan. Nevertheless, Caroline would have done just about anything for her girls and once attempted to confess to a murder that Kayla was accused of. It didn't work -- Kayla ended up giving birth to Stephanie in jail despite being innocent -- but you can't fault Caroline for trying!

3. Having the Courage to Face and Overcome Tragedy

Caroline saw her share of tragedy and heartbreak. For a while, eldest son Roman was believed to have plummeted to his death from a cliff, though that turned out to be untrue, and later Caroline saw the death of her husband Shawn in a plane crash. Youngest son Bo was also presumed dead for a long while and returned to Salem in 2015 only to die of a fatal brain tumor weeks after his return. Nevertheless, Caroline did her best to keep moving forward and maintain a positive attitude.

4. Accepting John Into the Fold

IN the late 1980s, the mysterious John Black showed up in Salem and was believed to be Roman Brady. When the real Roman returned, he wasn't happy that John was raising his kids -- but Caroline did her best to accept him as a member of the family even though technically he wasn't a Brady.

5. Helping Isabella With Her Pregnancy

Caroline's devotion to John extended to his wife and son. When Isabella was pregnant, Caroline was the first to check on her and offer her advice. John and Isabella named their son Brady after the family that was so important to them, especially its matriarch.

6. Caroline's Love for Victor

Youngest son Bo was the product of an affair that Caroline had with Victor Kiriakis, something she kept secret until Bo found out as an adult. Caroline's love for Victor wasn't really all that surprising considering her strong personality and fiery nature. She knew exactly who he was and was not afraid to stand up to him when she needed to protect their son. Caroline and Victor's friendship continued until her last on-screen appearance in 2016, when she rejected his offer to let her stay with him and Maggie at the Kiriakis mansion following a stroke.

7. Caroline Escapes Death During Melaswen Storyline

Caroline was believed to have been killed in 2004, during the infamous Salem Stalker storyline where someone was killing off all of Salem's major players. It turned out everyone had been kidnapped and brought to Melaswen, an island set up to be an alternate version of Salem. Caroline and Shawn escaped and were then held hostage in Europe.

8. Caroline Influenced The Next Generation

Caroline was of no less importance to her grandchildren than she was to her children. Both Sami and Theresa turned to her often for advice, feeling she was the only one in the family who could accept them despite their scheming and unsavory behavior. Caroline and Sami were especially close despite Caroline's disapproval of Sami's choice of EJ Dimera as her marriage partner.

9. Caroline Defeats Health Scares

Caroline seemed almost indestructible. She suffered a heart attack after learning granddaughter Sami was pregnant by her sister Carrie (Caroline's namesake)'s fiance and in the early 2000s suffered a stroke, yet she refused to let these health problems defeat her and continued being the same opinionated, stubborn, loving family matriarch she always was.

10. Caroline Battles Alzheimer's Disease

In the early 2000s, Caroline began forgetting names and experiencing mild confusion. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which would afflict her to varying degrees for the rest of her life. Despite her diagnosis, Caroline did her best to remain an active part of the Brady family, even speaking at grandson Will's wedding to his husband Sonny.

11. Caroline Stops Hope and Aiden's Wedding

In 2015, Caroline became convinced son Bo was coming back to town. Everyone thought Caroline was imagining things and didn't believe her, but she went as far as faking another heart attack in order to stall Hope and Aiden's wedding until Bo could return.

12. Running the Brady Pub

Caroline's strength included her business sense. She ran the Brady Fish Market and later the Brady Pub with her husband and continued running the Pub herself after his death. The Brady Pub has been a popular hangout for years and is the place where a lot of drama goes down. Nick met Melanie for the first there after Max brought his biological sister home to introduce to his mother.

13. Caroline Prepares for Death

One of the saddest, most powerful scenes was one of Caroline's last. While fixing up the old Martin House in 2015, she thought she saw deceased husband Shawn in the mirror and became convinced he was preparing her for death. This scene is even more poignant considering Peggy McCay's real life death in 2018.