'General Hospital' Nurse Shell Kepler Dead at 49

Shell Kepler was best known as the worlds favorite busy body nurse Amy Vining on General Hospital. She was the character you loved to hate. She gossiped her way into the hearts of GH fans as Nurse Amy Vining from 1979 through 2002.

Kepler died unexpectedly on Friday February 1st at Oregon Health & Science University hospital. The cause of death, according to imdb.com was renal failure.

Shell Kepler also appeared in a 1982 Joan Collins film, "Homework," and a three of episodes of the situation comedy "Three's Company."

Shell Kepler was born in Painesville Ohio on October 5th, 1959. She moved with her family from Ohio to Los Angeles when she was ten years old. She described herself as,"the world's most outstanding reject, all gangling and quiet." according to TV.com.

When Shell Kepler was twenty she landed the role of Amy Vining, the sister of Laura Spencer, on General Hospital. Amy's family adopted Laura when she was young. Laura eventually went to live with her biological mother Leslie Webber who resided in Port Charles. Amy Vining, a nurse, followed Laura to Port Charles.

Amy Vining brought excitement to General Hospital a way that no actress has been able to since she left the show in 2002. Nurse Vining stirred up trouble from behind the nurses' station by "accidentally" letting gossip out. Shell Kepler's character had one romantic relationship during her twenty year stint on GH. This was with boxer Johnny Morrissey in 1982. This relationship ended when Johnny decided to leave town after his boxing manager passed away from a heart attack.

The low point of her characters life occurred when Laura Spencer faked her death and did not tell her sister Nurse Vining. Nurse Vining deeply mourned the loss of her beloved sister Laura and once it was revealed that Laura was alive she was deeply hurt and felt betrayed.

The character of Nurse Vining was never officially written off. Her character was last seen in a church in 2002 waiting for her sister Laura to renew her vows with Luke. Laura Spencer never showed up for the wedding and was later found in an attic with the dead body of Rick Webber. We never saw Amy Vining again.

Shell Kepler moved to Portland after she left acting. She continued working in charity fundraising and was an accomplished entrepreneur with her "Lacy Afternoon" clothing line sold exclusively on the Home Shopping Network.

A little known fact about Shell Kepler is that she once sang in an all female pop group called, "Shell and the Crush" in the 1980's/

Sources:
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0449123/bio
http://www.tv.com/shell-kepler/person/9955/biography.html