22 Years After Her Death, the Son of This ‘General Hospital' Legend Shares a Rare Throwback Photo of the Iconic Matriarch
For decades, Anna Lee entertained audiences on the ABC soap opera General Hospital as the matriarch of the Quartermaine family. Now, 22 years after her death, her son has shared a rare throwback photo of the beloved actress.
Lee's son, actor Jeffery Byron, took to Instagram to share the photo of his mother on the set of the beloved soap opera, writing, "My beautiful mother Anna Lee playing her signature role of Lila Quartermaine on GENERAL HOSPITAL! And beside her is the wonderful David Lewis, who originated the role of Edward!"
Fans took to the actor's comments to share their memories of watching Lee on General Hospital with Byron. One user wrote, "Your mother, as Lila, was the quintessential grandmother! I grew up watching her with my own grandma, and watching 'stories' with her is one of my favorite memories."
A second user added, "One of my all-time favorite GH couples. Lila and Anna Lee were both class and dignity personified. And David Lewis will, for me, always be the definitive Edward Quartermaine. It's always wonderful to see his smile!
A third shared, "I wrote your mother a fan letter when she was on GH and received the loveliest reply. Your mother had beautiful handwriting. And it was on her personal stationery: From the desk of Anna Lee. I was a teenager and thrilled.'
Lee portrayed Lila from 1979 until her death in 2004. She also made a brief appearance in the General Hospital spin-off Port Charles in 1997.
The actress had numerous credits in feature films; one of the most notable was her role as Sister Margaretta inThe Sound of Music.
Her son, Byron, also has a long list of credits, including various roles in daytime television. This included appearing as Dr. Jeff Martin on All My Children, Richard Abbott on One Life to Live, and Dr. Mark Boardman on Port Charles.
New episodes of General Hospital premiere each weekday, airing on ABC, with episodes streaming weeknights on Hulu.
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This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 9:18 PM.