Since Survivor debuted in the summer of 2000, it has featured players of all ages born in every decade from the 1920s to the early 2000s. More than 600 people have competed on the groundbreaking reality TV series, and in the 21 years that it has been on the air, nine of its contestants have died since their time on the show.
The Survivor players who are no longer living have been celebrated by their castmates after their deaths, and some have even had episodes of the show dedicated to them. These former castaways all contributed to the game-changing reality series, and each is remembered fondly in the Survivor community.
Sunday Burquest was beloved by all of her Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X castmates and acted as a surrogate mother for them on the island. She created especially strong friendships with her fellow Gen X tribemates Brett LaBelle and Chris Hammons, and she bonded with the millennial tribe's Adam Klein, whose mother was battling cancer during the time they were on the island.
When Sunday competed on the show, she had already beaten breast cancer, so it was heartbreaking when she announced in 2020 that she had been diagnosed with esophageal and ovarian cancer. Sunday battled the disease but sadly died on April 18, 2021, surrounded by her family. She was 50.
Angie Jakusz was a member of the infamously hapless Ulong tribe on Survivor: Palau. Despite being deemed one of the strongest challenge competitors, she was dealt the unfortunate circumstance of a surprise double tribal council, giving her teammates little choice but to vote her out of the game.
Angie lived a private life post-Survivor, although her husband did create a GoFundMe for their family in 2018 following her 2017 diagnosis of squamous cell colorectal cancer. Angie's family announced that she lost her battle against the disease on Jan. 8, 2021. She was 40 years old.
Cliff Robinson was a former NBA player appropriately placed on the "brawn" tribe during Survivor: Cagayan — Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty. He aligned with fellow athletic tribemate Woo Hwang, the two forming one of the great, underrated Survivor bromances early on in the season. Unfortunately, Cliff was voted out before the tribes merged because he was seen by his competitors as too much of a physical threat.
Cliff was hospitalized in 2017 after suffering a brain hemorrhage, and he later was diagnosed with lymphoma. He underwent surgery in 2019 to treat his cancer but sadly passed away from the disease on Aug. 29, 2020. He was 53.
Rudy Boesch was one of the most popular players of the iconic first season of Survivor. Some of his fellow castaways saw Rudy as a weak link because he was the oldest player at 72, but the former Navy SEAL aligned early with eventual winner Richard Hatch and their precedent-setting Tagi alliance. He finished the season in third place after losing the final immunity challenge.
Rudy returned in 2004 to play again in Survivor: All-Stars but was the second person voted out, once more being targeted for his age. In the years after his last Survivor appearance, Rudy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and lived in a retirement community. He died on Nov. 1, 2019 at the age of 91. To this day, Rudy remains the oldest person ever to compete on Survivor, 75 years old when he appeared on All-Stars.
Ashley Massaro appeared on Survivor season 15, Survivor: China, in which she was a member of the Zhan Hu tribe along with popular players Peih-Gee Law and Frosti Zernow. Her time on the reality series was cut short as she got sick rather quickly while adjusting to the elements, and her tribemates voted her out second after tribemate Chicken Morris.
After her short stint as a Survivor castaway, Ashley, who was a WWE Diva, returned to working in the wrestling world and raising her daughter, Alexa. Sadly, Ashley died May 16, 2019, just 10 days before her 40th birthday.
Dan Kay competed as a member of Survivor: Gabon's Fang tribe, and was praised by his tribe early on for being one of its stronger and more capable leaders. A tribe swap and accusations of Dan secretly possessing a hidden immunity idol led to his elimination on day 21, just before the tribes merged.
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Dan died on Dec. 31, 2016 at the age of 40. He was survived by his two children and his girlfriend, Jennifer. Many Survivor alumni, especially Dan's lovably grouchy Fang tribemate and close friend Randy Bailey, publicly shared their love for Dan and their grief over his death.
Caleb Bankston was a fan-favorite on Survivor: Blood vs. Water, especially after his boyfriend Colton memorably quit Survivor in the middle of the season for the second time, leaving Caleb to navigate the competition for himself. The affable Caleb ended up working with Ciera Eastin and Hayden Moss in a minority alliance, but the tribe voted him out on day 29.
Caleb and Colton stayed together as a couple after the show, and they were planning to get married in October of 2014. Sadly, Caleb died in a railway accident that June. He was working for the railway when the accident occurred during a derailment. He was 27 years old.
B.B. Andersen was the second person voted off the island during the first season of Survivor. At 64 years old, he was the oldest castaway on the Pagong tribe, but that wasn't the main reason for his early elimination. B.B. struggled to get along with his tribemates, and he expressed his desire to leave the game. His tribe honored his wishes and voted him out.
B.B. went back to living his normal life after the show, but was still regarded as an iconic cast member for appearing on the freshman season. He died from brain cancer on Oct. 29, 2013. He was 77.
Jenn Lyon was a member of the Koror tribe that infamously decimated the opposing Ulong tribe during the first half of Survivor: Palau. During her time in the competition, Jenn also enjoyed a flirty Survivor showmance with Gregg Carrey, and the two even dated for short time after filming their season.
When Jenn returned home after Survivor, she saw a doctor after finding a lump on her breast implant. She was 33 when she received a diagnosis of breast cancer. On Jan. 19, 2010, she lost her battle with the disease at the age of 37, becoming the first Survivor alum to pass away. Survivor's 10-year anniversary special was dedicated to Jenn, and her Palau castmates Coby Archa and Katie Gallagher continue to celebrate her life every year on social media.
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