Remembering Nicky (Larry Keith, 1931-2010)

Yesterday, the Pine Valley Bulletin broke the news of the untimely passing of Larry Keith, All My Children's debonair Nick Davis from 1970-78 (with multiple recurring appearances until 2005). When viewers were first introduced to the Main Line town, Nick Davis (or Nicky as old friend Mona Kane referred to him) was the Valley's "James Dean;" an outsider, projecting a captivating air of intrigue. Viewers could not help but fall in love with him... neither could Phoebe Tyler.

Despite Nick's numerous "relationships" with women (all of which seemed to have the surname Tyler) there was always one woman who could put him his place. Despite all he did when he was teen, Nick always had an ally in Ruth Martin, the adoptive mother of his son, Phil Brent. Though having a stormy start, Ruth and Nick found a middle ground when it came to their son. They were each others' pillars through some of the most trying of times, including Phil's enlistment and deployment to Vietnam.



My favourite Nick and Ruth moment (and one of the last between Keith and original Ruth, Mary Fickett) was at the Martin family housewarming, 24 years after the clip above. In 1994, it would be Nick who would pull Ruth out of her emotional slump resulting from the destruction of the Martin home earlier that year. Nick reminded her that despite the fact that a tornado took her home, she would always be warm in the memories they shared.

To Larry, thank you for the memories.