Kristoff St. John's last soap episode aired Wednesday

LOS ANGELES -- The last "Young and the Restless" episode featuring Kristoff St. John aired Wednesday on CBS.

The actor, who played the struggling alcoholic and ladies' man Neil Winters for 27 years, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 52. The cause of death is under investigation by a medical examiner. St. John had played Neil Winters on the soap opera since 1991, earning nine daytime Emmy nominations. He won a Daytime Emmy in 1992 for outstanding younger actor in a drama series.

His business-guy character wended his way through romances, deaths of loved ones and other daytime travails that descended into alcoholism before going into rehab.

"The Young and the Restless" broadcast a special tribute to St. John today.