The Young and the Restless star Kristoff St. John has been laid to rest.
The CBS soap opera star, who has been credited with the role of Neil Winters since 1990, was laid to rest Monday, March 4, at the Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, California beside his late son, Julian, who passed away in 2014, according to The Blast.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Prior to the burial, friends and family gathered at the Calvary Community Church in Westlake, California to celebrate and pay tribute to the late actor, who was found dead in his San Fernando Valley home on Feb. 3 at the age of 52. Those in attendance included many of St. John’s co-stars, including Melody Thomas Scott, Hunter King, and Jason Thompson, as well as his beloved Shiba Inu, Brando.
Not in attendance for the service was St. John’s fiancée, Kseniya Mikhaleva, whose request for an emergency visa was denied. Mikhaleva, who became engaged to St. John in September of 2018, is a Russian native and currently lives in Moscow.
Organized by his ex-wife, the memorial service featured a musical performance by R&B star Kenny Lattimore, as well as a slideshow of the star. PEOPLE reports that his father, Christopher, gave the eulogy, and was accompanied by St. John’s daughter, Lola, and his cousin.
“My baby boy Kristoff, I never planned to be standing here on this day. Honestly, I always thought that Kristoff would be standing here to talk about me,” he said. “
“When Kristoff was born I held him in my arms, just like this, and he was the most remarkable little baby I’d ever seen,” he continued. “He taught me how to be a better boy, because he knew things about me that I didn’t even realize. Well, we started growing up together, me and Kristoff, and we had the greatest time. He taught me how to laugh and play. We did everything together.”
Christopher concluded the eulogy with, “Kristoff, I love you, man, with all my heart and soul, my baby boy.”
Following the service, St. John’s daughters led the family out as the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” played. The actor was then laid to rest beside his son, who passed away in 2014 of suicide.
A cause of death for St. John has been deferred by the Los Angeles County Coroner pending completion of an additional investigation.
While the actor’s final episode of The Young and the Restless aired on Feb. 6 and a special tribute was paid to him on Feb. 8, the CBS soap opera is developing a storyline to honor the late actor which will air in April.
