Dying is never easy, but it's nearly impossible on PASSIONS — mainly because most characters return from the dead eventually. Even so, the show has been rather creative in crafting characters' ends (or "ends" as the case may be). As the show nears its final days, here's a look back at 10 memorable deaths. And for more on Theresa's presumed death at sea, check out the 2/19 issue of Soap Opera Digest.

Sheridan (McKenzie Westmore) — JOHN PASCHAL/JPI

Sheridan was dating Hank Bennett, but when she was targeted by a French drug cartel, Luis was appointed her bodyguard. She and Luis soon went from disliking each other to falling in love, but just as they realized this, she was shot and killed. However, Sheridan was actually alive because her death had been faked by the FBI. The only problem? She was in the casket, buried alive. Once she was rescued, Hank revealed that he'd been helping the FBI with the case.

The next year, Sheridan and Luis went to Bermuda together, but encountered tragedy once again when she was presumed dead in a boat explosion (which Alistair and Julian had orchestrated). Back home, Luis mourned for his love, but an amnesiac Sheridan (calling herself "Diana") turned up alive on the island of St. Lisa. There, she coincidentally fell for Luis's brother Antonio (who was calling himself "Brian") and they became engaged. After they decided to return to Harmony, Sheridan saw Luis and recalled her love for him. However, Sheridan remained committed to Antonio.

In 2002, Julian managed to anger all of the women in his life: ex-wife Ivy, mistress Rebecca and current wife Theresa. Soon after, he was shot at the Harmony Cannery, fell into a boiling vat of tuna and was presumed dead, although no body was found. The ladies were all suspects, but a tape soon turned up that showed Ethan (whom Julian had recently learned wasn't his son) firing at him. It turned out that Liz Sanbourne was the assailant (she wanted to keep her sister, Eve, and Julian apart), but Julian hadn't actually died. He was off in another land with Tabitha's doll, Timmy, searching for a Demon Horn.

Theresa (Lindsay Hartley) — JOHN PASCHAL/JPI

Meanwhile, back in Harmony, Theresa confessed to Julian's "murder" in order to protect Ethan. She was thrown in jail, given the death sentence and actually endured execution by lethal injection. However, she didn't die, either, as viewers learned soon after. Alistair arranged for her to be given special medications so she'd survive. Theresa laid low until Julian returned home — then both were able to return to the land of the living.

Timmy (Josh Ryan Evans) and Charity (Molly Stanton) — JOHN PASCHAL/JPI

On-screen, Timmy died after becoming a real boy and giving his heart to an ailing Charity. Sadly, Timmy's portrayer, Josh Ryan Evans, was ill in real life and also died that year — and in an eerie, ironic twist, passed on the same day as his character, August 5. The show has attempted to keep Timmy's spirit alive by having Tabitha frequently speak with her late friend.

Sheridan was devastated when her and Luis's son, Marty, was taken from them by psychotic Beth. While Luis went to search for him, Sheridan bonded with a newcomer to town, Chris Boothe, whose wife, Maureen, had perished in a tsunami. After getting word that Luis had died, Sheridan became attached to Chris and his son, James; she and Chris soon wed in Hawaii. But Luis was very much alive — and in Hawaii, as well. Oops!

For years, Alistair terrorized Harmony's residents. His many misdeeds included raping several women and attempting to murder his daughter Sheridan. Surprisingly, however, almost all of the attempts on his life were made by one person: Liz, whom he'd once raped. Resilient Al survived being stabbed and nearly smothered, but supposedly met his end when he died in a train explosion in Rome. The next year, though, he returned to town alive and well, and was ready to begin a new reign of terror in Harmony.

Chad (Charles Divins) — PAUL SKIPPER /JPI

2007 wasn't an easy year for Chad. First, his relationship with wife Whitney fell apart after she caught him having an affair with Vincent. He was then shot by his biological father, Alistair, who denounced the idea of Chad being his child. Chad died and Whitney left town without them ever having a chance to resolve the issues in their marriage.

Flaky socialite Esme Vanderheusen believed she'd actually found real love when she hooked up with the wealthy Fox Crane. Unfortunately, her new boyfriend was soon murdered by a mysterious assailant. Things went from bad to worse when all of Esme's lovers ended up dead, making her believe that she was cursed. But she wasn't cursed; it was her teenage niece, Viki, who was doing the killing, mainly because she was afraid Esme's beaus would monopolize her aunt's attention.

Vincent (Phillip Jeanmarie) — PAUL SKIPPER /JPI

Throughout 2007, Harmony was terrorized by a murderous, rapist blackmailer who dressed as a half-man/half-woman and seemed to have feelings for Ethan. Eventually Vincent outed himself to Eve as both the attacker and her and Julian's long-lost son. Soon after, Vincent and Spike got into a fight and both fell over a cliff. Sheridan ended up saving Spike when he declared that he knew where a missing Marty was, and it was presumed that Vincent had fallen to his death. A devastated Eve took to drinking and began having visions of her son. However, Vincent was, in fact alive, and was gaslighting his mother. He also lived half his life as Valerie, and while in Valerie mode, seduced Julian. Currently, Vincent/Valerie is pregnant with his/her father's baby — and everyone still thinks Eve is crazy for saying that Vincent is alive.