General Hospital has revealed its plans to honor late alum Anthony Geary less than one month after his death.

On January 1, the soap opera will air a special encore of Geary’s final episode as Luke Spencer, TV Insider reported on Monday, December 22. The episode originally aired on July 27, 2015, and marked the end of Geary’s nearly four-decade run with GH.

Geary, who died at age 78 on December 14, joined GH as Luke in 1978. The role earned him a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He appeared as a series regular on the soap until 1984 and later returned in 1991 to play Luke’s look-alike cousin, Bill Eckert. Geary remained in this role until 1993, when he resumed his role as Luke until 2015. Following his retirement from the show, Geary made a guest appearance as Luke in 2017.

Geary’s husband, Claudio Gama, confirmed his death to TV Insider on December 15.

Anthony Geary Spent His Last Decade in Amsterdam After ‘General Hospital’ Retirement: His Final Years

“It was a shock for me and our families and our friends,” Gama told the outlet in a statement. “For more than 30 years, Tony has been my friend, my companion, my husband.”

Gama shared that Geary died in the Netherlands, three days after undergoing an operation.

Geary had relocated to Amsterdam with Gama following his retirement from GH. At the time, Geary revealed that he had been thinking about leaving the show for “10 years.”

“Ever since I found the place where my heart is, which is the city of Amsterdam. I never felt as comfortable or as authentic as I have felt there,” he said during a May 2015 interview. “One of the reasons I became an actor is that I felt not at home in my skin and not really comfortable with the people I grew up around, and it became a sanctuary for me to live in my imagination. In Amsterdam, I find the whole city is just a big playground for my imagination and I feel very comfortable there.”

GH executive producer Frank Valentini paid tribute to Geary via X after his death.

“The entire #GeneralHospital family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing,” he wrote. “Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for. His legacy, and that of Luke Spencer’s, will live on through the generations of #GH cast members who have followed in his footsteps. We send our sincerest sympathies to his husband, Claudio, family, and friends. May he rest in peace.”
Additional tributes poured in from Geary’s former GH costars, includingFinola Hughes, John Stamos and more.

General Hospital’s Genie Francis Reacts to Anthony Geary’s Death After Playing Luke and Laura for Decades

“Tony The original. He took my breath away, so magical, creative, fearless. The thing of legend. So glad I spent time with you and Claudio in Amsterdam for a couple of summers,” Hughes, 66, wrote via Instagram. “The best host, conversationalist, deep thinker, witty, kind raconteur. Deeply mischievous, naturally my kids adored you.”

Meanwhile, Stamos, 62, wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and former costar, Tony Geary. … Tony could not have been kinder or more welcoming. At that age, everything feels big. He made it feel safe. I was mesmerized by his acting. I would stay after my scenes were finished just to watch him work — not because I had to, but because I wanted to learn. Watching Tony was like watching someone rewrite the rules in real time. He changed the face of daytime television. And in very real ways, he changed my life.”