Dr. Thomas Horton is a fictional character and patriarch of the Horton family on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

''. He was played by

Macdonald Carey Edward Macdonald Carey (March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American actor, best known for his role as the patriarch Dr. Tom Horton on NBC's soap opera ''Days of Our Lives''. For almost three decades, he was the show's central cast member. ...

from 1965 until his death in 1994.

Storylines

Tom Horton was born in 1910, married his wife Alice Grayson on March 7, 1930. Tom was a prominent doctor at Salem University Hospital and fathered five children,

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

Addie Addie is a given name, nickname and surname. It may refer to: People with the name Given name * Addie Aylestock (1909–1998), Canadian minister in the British Methodist Episcopal Church, the first woman minister to be ordained in that church, ...

Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael (given name), Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men ...

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

, and

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

. In 1968 Tom would learn that his son Mickey was sterile, and when he confronted

Laura Horton Laura Horton is a fictional character from the NBC soap opera, ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional, United States town of Salem. Created by writer Peggy Phillips, the role was originated by a ...

(Mickey's current wife) about her pregnancy she told Tom that Bill had raped her. The two agreed to keep their secrets from Mickey to spare his feelings. In 1977, Tom had a heart attack and remained in the hospital for several months. In 1978, Tom was promoted to Chief of Staff at University Hospital. Tom Horton read poetry, which he wrote himself, under the name Norm De Plume. He also wore a disguise so Alice wouldn't know what he was up to. When it was discovered their first marriage was invalid they married again on October 17, 1989. In 1993, Alice and Tom founded the Horton Center, which ran out of their home. The Horton Center provided shelter and help to run-away teens or families in need. Tom last appeared onscreen on February 9, 1994 due to Carey's failing health. Following Carey's death in March 1994, the character of Tom died off screen on June 21, 1994.

References

Days of Our Lives characters Fictional physicians Television characters introduced in 1965 Male characters in television {{soap-char-stub