Lila Quartermaine (Anna Lee)


 * Lila redirects here. For other uses of the name, see Lila (disambiguation)

Lila Quartermaine (née Morgan; previously Tolliver) was a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The character was created in 1978 and, except for a temporary recast in 1994, was played by Anna Lee the entire span of the character's life on the show. She was the wife of Edward Quartermaine; the mother of Alan Quartermaine and Tracy Quartermaine-Spencer; and the grandmother of Skye Chandler-Quartermaine, A.J. Quartermaine, Jason Morgan, Emily Bowen-Quartermaine, Ned Ashton, and Dillon Quartermaine. Lila often served as the rational party and peacemaker in the constant Quartermaine squabbles, and was adored by pretty much everyone she came in contact with. Lila died when Anna Lee died herself.

Character background
Lila Quartermaine came to Port Charles with the rest of her family in 1978 when Alan decided to stay at General Hospital and bought a house in town. In 1981, Lila's first husband Crane Tolliver pays her a visit. He has proof that his and Lila's divorce was not legal, and therefore her marriage to Edward is illegal and all the Quartermaines are illegitimate. He teams up with Susan Moore, Lila's son Alan's former mistress (and Jason's mother), to blackmail the Quartermaines. Susan backs out, and Crane kills her. Crane himself dies shortly after. Lila legally marries Edward in 1983.

In 1986, Alan's wife Monica and her lover Sean Donely bankrupt the Quartermaines and Monica throws all of them out of the Quartermaine Mansion, of which she is the owner. The family moves in above Kelly's Diner, but Lila does little complaining. She founds her own business, called Pickle-Lila, which is a delicious relish that sweeps the country. This venture puts the Quartermaines back in the black.

In 1992, Lila takes a bad spill and is badly injured. She opts not to have surgery, and therefore has to use a wheelchair the rest of her life. Lila dies peacefully in her sleep in July of 2004.

Ned Ashton asked Felicia Scorpio-Jones to write Lila's memoirs. Lila told Felicia about love letters Edward had sent her during World War II. Lila had given them to her cousin for safekeeping. In the process of writing Lila's memoirs, Luke Spencer and Felicia uncovered a family secret. They found out that Edward had killed Lila's fiancé and married her instead. Lila, however, revealed the truth. She said that Eliot had forced himself on her after discovering that Edward had been sending her love letters he signed as Eliot. So, Lila had hit him over the head with a fireplace poker, killing him. Luke and Felicia agreed to keep the truth a secret.

One evening in July of 2004, Lila told Edward that she loved him before going to bed. She then died peacefully in her sleep. The entire family and town were shocked at her passing. The family continued to bicker as they dealt with their grief. A memorial service was held for Lila, and many of her family members spoke of what a wonderful person she was. Emily then took over as family peacemaker and always encouraged Jason to have more contact with the Quartermaines, as a favor to Lila.