Mark Steven Dobies, known for his roles in “Guiding Light” and “One Life to Live,” died on March 11, 2025, in Dunellen, New Jersey. He was 65.
His obituary describes Dobies, who lived in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, as a “loving father, accomplished athlete, and talented actor.” The cause of death was not disclosed.
Dobies played college football at Delaware Valley University, contributing to their first Middle Atlantic Conference championship in 1980. His skills earned him a scholarship, launching his academic pursuits.
Dobies began his soap opera career in 2000 with CBS’s “Guiding Light” as Dr. Noah Chase, a love interest for Kim Zimmer’s Reva Shayne. After a year and a half, he moved to ABC’s “One Life to Live” in 2003, playing district attorney Daniel Colson until 2005.
His role on “One Life to Live” was controversial. Dobies’ character, Daniel Colson, married Nora Buchanan, played by Hilary B. Smith, but was exposed as unfaithful and murderous. The storyline included Colson killing Paul Cramer, who threatened to reveal Colson’s affair with another man.
GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) protested, stating the storyline reinforced negative LGBTQ stereotypes. Despite this, executive producer Frank Valentini defended the narrative, stating, “the story is about intolerance and about a man not being true to himself.”
Beyond soap operas, Dobies appeared on primetime shows such as “Home Improvement,” “Melrose Place,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Just Shoot Me!,” “Fringe,” and “Gossip Girl.” He also appeared in the 2004 off-Broadway revival of Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart.”
Former colleagues remember Dobies as a “genuinely good guy” whose talent left a lasting impact on those he worked with.
Dobies’ last acting credit was in the 2016 sports drama “Greater,” concluding a diverse career across television, film, and stage.
He is survived by his three children, his mother, and his siblings, a brother and a sister.