Stephanie Wilkins

Infobox soap character
series = Search for Tomorrow
portrayer = Maree Cheatham (1974-1984)
Louise Shaffer (1984-1986)
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last =
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creator =


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nickname = Stephanie Wyatt
alias =
gender = Female
born =
death = 1986 (murdered)
occupation = television station owner; nurse
title =
residence = Henderson, USA
parents =
siblings =
spouse = Dave Wilkins (divorced)
Clay Collins (divorced)
Walter Pace (divorced)
John Wyatt (dissolved by his death)
romances = Tony Vincente
Bobby Bero
children = Wendy Wilkins (daughter)
Brian Emerson (illegitimate son)
relatives =

Stephanie Wilkins Collins Pace Wyatt was a fictional character on the long-running American Soap Opera "Search for Tomorrow". She was played from 1974 to 1984 by actress Maree Cheatham and from 1984 to 1986 by actress and writer Louise Shaffer.

Incidentally, this marked Louise Shaffer's return to "Search" after being one of three actresses (the others being Kathryn Walker and Pamela Murphy) to play the character of Emily Rogers Hunter.

Jo's biggest enemy

Stephanie Wilkins Collins Pace Wyatt came to the fictional community of Henderson with her stepmother, Ramey Weskitt, and her young daughter Wendy (Andrea McArdle, later Lisa Peluso) after divorcing a man named Dave Wilkins (Dale Robinette). She later discovered that she had an illegitimate son named Brian Emerson. She had a brief affair with Dr. Tony Vincente, who at the time was married to Joanne Gardner.

She was a newly-hired nurse at Henderson Hospital who was assigned to look after Jo's daughter, Patti, who was dealing with a very difficult pregnancy. However, her interference in Tony's life, notably by trying to pass off Wendy as his, (Wendy was Dave Wilkins's daughter) inevitably led to a strain between him and Jo.

In fact, Stephanie and Jo were considered to be bitter enemies. What was highly ironic about this was that although Stephanie and Jo were enemies, Wendy and Jo's niece, Suzi Martin, were best friends. Despite the enmity, though, Stephanie was able to ask Jo for help, when she clearly needed it.

She eventually remarried three times after divorcing Dave Wilkins; she first married Clay Collins, the brother of Wade Collins, whom upon his death, became very wealthy; and Walter Pace, the father of Jennifer Pace Phillips; who had caused so much grief for Jo's family, especially when she killed Jo's sister, Eunice Gardner Wyatt.

This led up to Stephanie marrying John Wyatt, after her divorce from Walter Pace. She married him simply out of spite to Jo, since John had been interested in her, since she reminded him of his beloved Eunice. Eventually, though, John himself died, and Stephanie was a widow once more. She is most commonly remembered as Stephanie Wyatt.

When it came to mothering, Stephanie tended to be somewhat pushy and overbearing, but despite her pushiness, she loved her family very dearly; and even Jo had to admit, that in spite of her motives, Stephanie really did mean well; and had her family's best interests in mind.

Stephanie wanted Wendy to marry into wealth, like she herself did when she married Clay Collins. So, she was quite dismayed to find that she married poor artist Keith McNeil (Craig Augustine).

However, after divorcing Keith, Wendy married wealthy Warren Carter, whom the ambitious Stephanie found to be more suitable. The thing was Warren had been married to her best friend, Suzi, but she divorced Warren, so Wendy could be with him. Stephanie recovered with a long relaxing affair with the debaucherous Bobby Bero.

At one point, Stephanie had been the head of Henderson's television station, and her assistant was cornpone Country music singer wannabe, Rhonda Sue Huckaby (played to comic perfection by Tina Johnson). Although Rhonda Sue drove her crazy a lot of the time, Stephanie really thought highly of her.

Stephanie also made promising careers for the local television station in Henderson to Wendy, Quinn Mccleary, Chase Kendall and folk singer Sarah Whitting, Jo's Granddaughter.

Stephanie was murdered by a serial killer in 1986. This occurred before the infamous flood that nearly destroyed Henderson.