# Shell Kepler

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Kepler
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{{Short description|American actress (1958–2008)}}
{{Infobox person
| image         = Shell Kepler-General Hospital.jpg
| caption       = Kepler as Nurse [Amy Vining](/source/Amy_Vining) on ''[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)''
| birth_name    = Michelle Alaine Kepler
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1958|10|5}}
| birth_place   = [Painesville, Ohio](/source/Painesville%2C_Ohio), U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2008|2|1|1958|10|5}}
| death_place   = [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland%2C_Oregon), U.S.
| occupation    = Actress
| years_active  = 1978–2002
| notable_works = ''[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)''
| spouse        = Kenny Ryback (5/20/1985–1991; divorced)  <br> Robert DeSantis (4/17/1993–2000; divorced)
}}
'''Michelle Alaine Kepler''' (October 5, 1958 – February 1, 2008), was an American television actress best known for her work on ''[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)'' as "Nurse [Amy Vining](/source/Amy_Vining)", from 1979 until 2002.

==Early life==
Kepler was born in Ohio, and her family moved to Arcadia, California when she was 10.<ref name="OC Reg"/> She had one brother, Fred, who is named after their father.<ref name="oregonlive.com">{{cite web
|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/living/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/living/1202250305250960.xml&coll=7
|title=Soap actress Kepler dies in Portland
|publisher=[oregonlive.com](/source/oregonlive.com)
|date=February 6, 2008
}}</ref><ref name="Shell Kepler Dead at 49">{{cite web
|url=http://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2008/0204-kepler.php
|title=Shell Kepler Dead at 49
|publisher=[Soapcentral](/source/Soapcentral)
|date=February 3, 2008
}}</ref>

==Career==
Kepler portrayed [busybody](/source/busybody) nurse Amy Vining, a "fan favourite" and sister of [Laura Spencer](/source/Laura_Spencer_(General_Hospital))'s, on ''[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)'', from 1979 to 2002.<ref name="OC Reg">{{cite web |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kepler-28284-hospital-general.html |title=Longtime soap opera actress Shell Kepler dies at 49 |work=[Orange County Register](/source/Orange_County_Register) |date=February 4, 2008 |accessdate=November 3, 2015}}</ref> She also appeared on the ''General Hospital'' spinoff ''[Port Charles](/source/Port_Charles)'', other shows such as ''[CHiPs](/source/CHiPs)'' and ''[Three's Company](/source/Three's_Company)'', and the movie ''Homework'' (1982) with [Joan Collins](/source/Joan_Collins).<ref name="OC Reg"/>

Kepler was also a businesswoman, who marketed a line of clothing on the former [Home Shopping Club](/source/Home_Shopping_Club). In a 1994 [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press) interview, she claimed that her "Lacy Afternoon" collection had earned more than $20 million in sales that year.<ref name="OC Reg"/>

After her TV career ended, she moved to [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland%2C_Oregon) and was active in charitable fundraising.<ref name="OC Reg"/>

==Personal life==
Kepler married and divorced twice, and had 3 children.<ref name="oregonlive.com"/><ref name="Shell Kepler Dead at 49"/> She and her ''[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)'' costar [Jacklyn Zeman](/source/Jacklyn_Zeman) (who played [Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer](/source/Barbara_Jean_%22Bobbie%22_Spencer)) were close friends.<ref name="General Hospital News & Gossip">{{cite web|url=http://soapzone.com/newsroom.php/gh/news|website= SoapZone|title= General Hospital News & Gossip}}</ref>

Kepler died from [kidney failure](/source/kidney_failure), on February 1, 2008, at [Oregon Health & Science University](/source/Oregon_Health_%26_Science_University).<ref name="oregonlive.com"/><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2008/0204-kepler.php
|title=Shell Kepler Dead at 49
|website=[Soapcentral](/source/Soapcentral)
|date=February 3, 2008
}}</ref> Zeman delivered a eulogy at her funeral.<ref name="General Hospital News & Gossip"/> The February 26, 2008 episode of ''General Hospital'' was dedicated to Kepler, "In loving memory".<ref name=Kepler>{{cite web|last=Kroll|first=Dan J|title=Shell Kepler dead at 49|url=http://www.soapcentral.com/gh/news/2008/0204-kepler.php|work=soapcentral.com|accessdate=December 29, 2012|date=February 20, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=February 26, 2008 |title=Robin is overcome by emotion|work=[General Hospital](/source/General_Hospital)}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[http://www.soapcentral.com/gh/theactors/kepler.php Shell Kepler - Soapcentral.com]
*[https://michelle-kepler.muchloved.com/ Shell Kepler at muchloved.com]
*[https://michellekepler.remembered.com/ Michelle Kepler, under the nickname, "Shell" at remembered.com]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kepler, Shell}}
Category:1958 births
Category:2008 deaths
Category:American soap opera actresses
Category:Deaths from kidney failure in Oregon
Category:Actresses from Ohio
Category:People from Painesville, Ohio
Category:Actresses from Portland, Oregon
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American women

{{US-tv-actor-1950s-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shell Kepler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Kepler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Kepler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.