Kathryn Hays Death Cause & Obituary- American Actress Died At 87
Benjamin Ward
Published Jan 18, 2026
Kathryn Hays, who played Kim on CBS’s As the World Turns for 38 years, passed away on March 25 in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was 87 years old.
Kathryn Hays was an American actress best known from 1972 to 2010 for her portrayal of Kim Hughes on the soap opera As the World Turns.
She participated in an episode of The Locher Room, a YouTube series that reunited various soap performers, in May 2020.
Her death has been a significant loss to the film business. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to her family and friends. She will be missed terribly.
Kathryn Hays Death Cause & Obituary- American Actress Died At 87
Kathryn Hays died peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family and friends. She died peacefully since she had the opportunity to see her family before her death.
Sherri and Bob Mancusi, her daughter and son-in-law; three grandchildren, Kate, Cameron, and Garrett Wells; and her great-grandson Jack survive Hays.
Those who wish to remember Hays may make a donation to The Greater Bridgeport Symphony in Bridgeport, Connecticut, The First Church of Christ Scientist in Westport, Connecticut, or their favorite dog rescue group.
Her ‘ career began in the early 1960s, with appearances on television shows such as Hawaiian Eye, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, Bonanza, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
She landed the character of Elizabeth Reynolds in The Road West in 1966, and she played her for all 29 episodes of the 1860s-set series.
Hays is also well-known for his role as the titular Gem in the 1968 Star Trek episode “The Empath.” She appeared as a guest star on over 40 TV shows, most notably in a 2007 episode of Law & Order: SVU.
Kathryn Hays Family Details
Katharyn Hays was born on July 26, 1933, in Princeton, Illinois, and grew up in Joliet.
In 1957, Hays married Sidney Steinberg, with whom she had a daughter, Sherri.
Hays married actor Glenn Ford in 1966; they divorced in 1969. She also left behind three grandkids.
What Was Kathryn Hays Net Worth?
Kathryn Hays’s net worth was not officially disclosed. However, through her successful career earnings, she must have lived a luxurious life.
She made her Star Trek debut in the episode “The Empath” in 1968 as Gem, a silent alien capable of inheriting the anguish and injuries of others and therefore healing them.
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Hays appeared as a guest star in a number of sitcoms and drama programs, as well as in films such as Ride Beyond Vengeance (1966) and Counterpoint (1970).
She was featured as Kim Sullivan Hughes on CBS’s As the World Turns in 1972. She stayed on As the World Turns until the show’s final episode on September 17, 2010.
Hays was featured significantly in the show’s 50th-anniversary episode, which aired in 2006. Prior to her involvement on As the World Turns, Hays appeared on Guiding Light as Leslie Bauer.