‘DWTS’ Pro Sharna Burgess’ Dad Raymond Dead at 72

Sharna Burgess is mourning the loss of her father, Raymond Burgess, after he died on Friday at the age of 72. The Dancing With the Stars pro shared the news of her loss on Instagram Monday alongside photos with her dad throughout childhood – playing at the beach, blowing out birthday candles, cuddling up on the couch and more.

“I’ll never be able to find the right words to do this justice so I’ll use the words of someone else,” Burgess wrote in the caption, adding a quote attributed to C.S. Lewis: “There are far better things ahead than those we leave behind.” Burgess continued, “I hope with all my heart this is true for you. Journey well Dad, may you go with Spirit, courage and love onto your next. Thank you, I love you, I miss you.”

Burgess had previously shared a slice of her relationship with her dad back in June 2020, when she was visiting her native Australia in order to spend time with her family during the beginning of the pandemic. Cooking up her late Nan’s famous chocolate slice recipe with the help of her dad in a heartwarming YouTube video, fans were quick to comment on the dancer’s sweet relationship with her dad. “If there’s anything that I can thank this pandemic for, it’s that I’ve has forced time in Australia and time with my family, which has been beautiful,” she shared in the video.

Burgess most recently competed on Season 30 of Dancing With the Stars alongside her boyfriend Brian Austin Green, but didn’t sign on for the Dancing With the Stars: Live! tour that kicked off last month. On Instagram, the dancer said it was going to be too difficult to dedicate the necessary 11 weeks to the tour, as she “didn’t want to leave [her] life and live on a bus for 11 weeks.” 

“I will however miss it,” she continued. “It’s bittersweet honestly. I’m so grateful for where my life is and is headed, and I’m committed to making time and space for that. But I will always have a part of my heart left on a live stage dancing for a live audience and watching you all smile and be inspired by what we do. That is an irreplaceable joy.”