‘Survivor’ Alum Angie Jakusz Dead at 40

Survivor fans are mourning the death of Palau contestant Angie Jakusz, who died at the age of 40 on Friday, Jan. 8, according to her obituary. While the former castaway’s cause of death was not revealed in her obit, FanSided reported three years ago that she was battling squamous cell colorectal cancer, a rare form of the disease. A recent GoFundMe in her name appears to confirm this diagnosis.

Jakusz made a name for herself on Season 10 of the reality show, during which she was a part of the Ulong tribe. Named playfully “No Fun Angie” by her fellow tribe members, the New Orleans bartender has embraced the moniker over the years, even using it in her obituary. Voted off the island on day 12, she returned to New Orleans, where she has built a rich life for herself. Keep reading for more on Jakusz life and see fans’ tributes to her time on Survivor.

Life After ‘Survivor’

Jakusz’s obituary continues of the life she had returned to once leaving the island, “Angie was an incredibly passionate person with an extraordinary lust for life. Whether she was sewing, painting, drawing, doing nail art or makeup, costuming, reading, snorkeling, scuba diving, traveling, or just raising hell, she did it lovingly and with laser precision.” She is survived by her husband of nine years, Steven Calandra, as well as her parents, brother, niece and nephew.

Paying Tribute

Fans took to Twitter at the sad news to share their condolences, and the Survivor subreddit even compiled a tribute video of all of her most iconic appearances on her season.

 

Sending Love

Others sent love and condolences to Jakusz’s family, praising her as a “gem” of Survivor who made her mark with a memorable gameplay.

R.I.P.

Still other Survivor fans noted that Jakusz is not the only castaway who passed away in recent months, with one account noting that with no new season amid COVID-19, the franchise has fewer castaways now than at the beginning of the year. 

Cliff Robinson

Another difficult loss for the Survivor family was the death of Survivor: Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty alum Cliff Robinson, who died in August after a long battle with lymphoma at just 53. At the time, Jeff Probst wrote on Instagram, “To have Cliff Robinson, an NBA All-Star, play Survivor was a personal highlight for me. And he was one of the classiest people to ever play the game. He treated the other cast members and the entire crew with grace and respect. My condolences go out to his family.”

Rudy Boesch

In November 2019, Survivor fans also mourned the death of Season 1 castaway Rudy Boesch, who was the franchise’s oldest contestant to compete. Boesch, who had battled Alzheimer’s disease for years prior to his death, passed away at the age of 91.

Boesch finished in third on the first ever season of Survivor: Borneo in 2000 when he was 72 years old. At the time, Richard Hatch, the first Survivor winner, paid tribute to him on Twitter. “Ours was an interesting bond, Dear Rudy!” he wrote. “You and I helped open minds and undermine predjudices. While your time here has passed, you will remain loved and iconic, dear friend!”

Ashley Massaro

Survivor: China alum Ashley Massaro also died in May 2019 at just 39. She was pronounced dead at the hospital after police were called to her home for a “noncriminal” matter. The former WWE star, model and DJ was mourned by 18-year-old daughter Alexa, who wrote on her Instagram Story at the time, “I love you mommy i want to wake up in your arms more than anything i want to give u a big hug please come back this cant be real…please god this can’t be it.” Massaro competed on Survivor a year before she would leave the WWE. She was voted off the island after six days.