'The Amazing Race' Star Dead: Donald Anthony St. Claire Was 87

The Amazing Race family has lost a beloved member of their family. One of the oldest contestants, Donald Anthony St. Claire, died at his Northern California home at the age of 87. The New York Post confirmed the news. He was a renowned doctor who died on Aug. 31. His son, Greg, told TMZ in a story posted on Nov. 26 that his death came as a shock, noting a heart issue is suspected to be what caused his passing. St. Claire and his wife, Mary Jean, participated in Season 6 of the long-running CBS reality competition series. They were known as the team of "Grandparents" when the show aired in 2004. At the time of their participation, Don was 69, and Mary Jean, an interior designer, was 65. They had been married 20 years at the time, after meeting while married to other people. While they were loved, they had a difficult time keeping up with the younger teams and were eliminated in Germany, coming in eighth place.

In their show biography, the network revealed the couple had once survived a near-death experience when their boat carrying eight people capsized in the South Pacific. Don was thrown onto a coral reef, while Mary Jean was thrown into the water. After news of their accident, the locals in their town reportedly held a memorial service for them, thinking there was no way they would survive such a tragedy.

Per his obituary, an award-winning winemaker, St. Claire Jan. 10, 1935. He is survived by Mary Jean; children Valeri Andres, Donald St. Claire, Jr., Gregory St. Claire, and Jeffrey St. Claire; stepchildren Michael Henningsen and Christa Flores; 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Outside of his work on the show, St. Claire practiced internal medicine in the Palo Alto area for more than four decades. He also served on the clinical faculty of Stanford University. "He was a true animal lover who adored his dogs, and a loving father who didn't hesitate to end work early on Fridays to pull his kids from school for trips to Tahoe. He touched everyone who came into his path," the obituary reads.