When the funeral services for Dr. Monica Quartermaine begin this week, the pain General Hospital viewers see in the eyes of the cast will be all too real. This was, after all, the second time they were saying farewell.

“Obviously, it wasn’t easy for anybody,” reflected Steve Burton (Jason) of the scenes. As he explained during an episode of Stone Cold and the Jackal — the video podcast he hosts with Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) — it was especially difficult because so much time had passed between the real-life death of Charleson and her beloved character’s passing. “The psychological part of already going to Leslie’s celebration of life and kind of moving past that, then re-opening the whole thing again was super painful.”

The memorial honoring Charleson’s memory, held back in February, was a true eye-opener for Burton. “I’m grateful for the time we had together, and I’ll say this: Going to her celebration of life? She touched so many people.”

The actor says the celebration brought together people from all walks of life. “What I don’t think the public knew, and I certainly didn’t know the extent of it, was how many people she touched. How many people showed up and got up and said, ‘She changed my life.’ It’s a huge testament to the character of that woman, and it was such a blessing to be able to play her son.”

As for the tribute to Monica — which begins to unfold during the episode airing on Thursday, September 25 — Burton promises, “They’re giving her the proper tribute. What we want, what the fans want and what she deserves.”