Friends and family of Kristoff St. John came together to honor his life on Monday at the Calvary Community Church in Westlake, California.
The 52-year-old actor, best known for his portrayal of Neil Winters on the epic soap opera The Young and the Restless over the course of almost thirty years, passed away in his home on February 3.
Many of St. John’s costars from the series attended the service to pay their respects, including Melody Thomas Scott, Hunter King and Jason Thompson.
A former costar who wanted to maintain her privacy anonymously told People magazine that she wasn’t surprised by the day’s turnout. “I doubt there will be anyone missing from the show today; he was so loved. You won’t meet anyone with an unkind word to say about him,” she said.
St. John’s fiancée Kseniya Mikhaleva was reportedly not able to be present at the service because of visa issues, but many other family members were in attendance. His father, Christopher, gave the eulogy, while one of St. John’s daughters, Lola, and his cousin was at his side.
“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,” Christopher 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 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,” he continued.
The moment was terribly similar to St. John being forced to mourn his own son, Julian, four years prior. Julian’s death left a void in St. John’s life that was mentioned several times during the service, reports said.
St. John was laid to rest beside Julian, who committed suicide after a lifelong struggle with mental illness.
