‘Days of Our Lives’ Honors Stefano DiMera with Long-Awaited Memorial Service

After years of speculation surrounding his fate, Days of Our Lives is officially laying Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) to rest, as the Peacock soap airs the character’s long awaited memorial.

In the weekly promo released on the series’ official YouTube channel, viewers get a first look at the memorial service held in Stefano’s honor, as the DiMera family gathers to remember the longtime villain and patriarch.

“Despite his flaws, he loved us fiercely, and we will honor his legacy and continue it. The house of DiMera will not fall,” E.J. DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) says in the preview, surrounded by his family.

🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬

The Story So Far

Stefano’s on-screen absence has been nearly as complicated as his life in Salem. Actor Joseph Moscolo died on December 8, 2016. Earlier that year, Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso) believed she had killed Stefano after suspecting him of orchestrating the presumed death of her husband Bo Brady (Peter Reckell).

That storyline stretched into 2017, and appeared to conclude when Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) staged a fake appearance of Stefano to clear Hope’s name.

However, while reviewing photos, they realized one of the appearances had not been staged, raising the question about whether Stefano was still alive.

In 2019, Dr. Rolf revealed that Stefano had died, but not before transferring his consciousness, referred to as his “essence”, into a microchip that was implanted in Steve Johnson. The resulting transformation, dubbed ‘Stevano’ by fans, ended when the chip was destroyed, seemingly erasing Stefano once and for all.

In December 2025, E.J., Kristen (Stacey Haiduk), Chad (Billy Flynn), Theo (Tyler Joseph Andrews), and Tony (Thaao Penghlis) were kidnapped by Stefano’s adopted son Peter Blake (Dan Gauthier). While attempting to escape from the DiMera family crypt, the group discovered unidentified human remains.

Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) later confirmed those remains belong to Stefano. How they ended up in the crypt remains a mystery.

Days of Our Lives streams new episodes weekdays on Peacock.

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.