The shocking final messages from Stephen Nichols to his dear friend Drake Hogestyn.

‘My dear friend, Drake Hogestyn has passed. This loss is overwhelming.

Drake was a man’s man with a huge heart. He was kind, respectful and honest. I never heard him speak a negative word about anyone. He was on a very short list of exceptional people I have known in my lifetime. He was a mentor without knowing it. I learned so much from Drake by his example. Humility, perseverance, forgiveness. We had long talks in his dressing room after working on our scenes. He spoke so lovingly about his beautiful family who he cherished above all else. Drake would tell me about his history, playing baseball, coming to Hollywood, getting into acting. He also shared triumphs and a few heartaches having to do with his long career on Days with such honesty. I felt privileged to be a sounding board, to have his trust. And he had mine. I could tell him anything; and recently when I was going through a rough time when I lost my sister to cancer, he was there for me and he listened and asked how I was doing daily.

Drake was a storyteller. Ask anyone around the studio. He could spin a tale, and he remembered his adventures in such detail and always throwing in baseball metaphors whenever he could. Drake loved his time as a ballplayer. And on our Days softball team he was, of course, our star player.

Drake and I began our working relationship in 1986. No one hit the stage with more commitment and enthusiasm than Drake. He inspired and energized me and everyone around him. He loved coming to work and showed up early to workout in the wee hours of the morning. I’ll miss hearing the whirring of his stationary bike and the clanging of dumbbells-we were dressing room neighbors.

Just being in Drake’s presence was enough to get a jolt of positivity. He was one of those special souls who exuded joy and love for life. The Days of Our Lives cast, crew, and fans (who he was always so kind to) have suffered a great loss. It has been palpable how much Drake was loved and has been missed during these months without him at the studio.

I kept in close touch with Drake throughout his illness and even through his darkest times he always threw in an optimistic phrase like … “not much positive to report, but I still believe in Santa.” Drake fought hard. That’s who he was. A man with an iron will, who would not give up.

In the fictional town of Salem, we were partners in Black Patch Private Investigations. In life we were good buddies who always had each other’s backs.

I’m at a loss without you, Drake. I will always remember our long talks about our families and our “out of body experiences.” I’ll miss your sweet smile and your greeting, “Hey, partner, come on in” when I knocked on your door to run our scenes, and your strong shoulder squeezes and pats on the back. And God knows, I will miss sharing the stage with you.

You worked hard and left us a legacy of beautiful work. Rest easy, partner. I’ll always love you and I’ll never forget what a positive impact you’ve had on my life. That’s a fact.

My love and condolences to Victoria and his beloved family.