The Survivor family of Sunday Burquest shared touching tributes after her death. The former Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X castaway passed away from cancer. She openly shared her past struggle with cancer while competing on Survivor. She ultimately finished in seventh place.
Burquest started her season on the tribe made up of castaways from Generation X. She quickly made strong bonds thanks to her positive attitude and caring nature. These bonds gave her a social game that carried her deep into the game. Her social prowess and huge heart extended to even more people as she stayed active in the Survivor community long after her appearance on the show.
Former Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X castaways poured out love and admiration for their castmate. Instagram and Twitter were flooded with heartfelt posts from David Wright, Will Wahl, Zeke Smith, Bret Labelle, Jessica Lewis, Jessica “Figgy” Figueroa, Hannah Shapiro and the champion of Millennials vs. Gen X, Adam Klein. “I will miss you always @sundaysurvivor” tweeted Survivor: Game Changers’ Smith, “you left an indelible legacy and will be my darling forever. Rest in Power.” “Friendship like ours is hard to find,” shared LaBelle, “I will cherish every moment, every sunset, [and] every belly laugh we shared.” Survivor: Edge of Extinction returnee Wright contributed, “She was so genuine, kind and made everyone around her a better person.”
Klein shared a touching post mentioning a final message from Burquest. “A couple of days ago, I texted Sunday to check in and send some love,” posted the Survivor: Winners at War contestant, “that night, her daughter responded with a message from Sunday: ‘She is going to say hi to your mom for you.’” He continued, “Sunday ALWAYS thought about others first. Until we meet again.” The former winner brought viewers to tears on his own of Survivor by sharing the loss of his own mother from cancer.
Notable tributes from Survivor stars who did not compete alongside Burquest include Survivor: David vs. Goliath’s Gabby Pascuzzi, Survivor: Philippines winner Denise Stapley and host Jeff Probst. “Sunday Burquest had one of the brightest smiles of any person to ever play Survivor” shared the show’s host, “She radiated kindness and understanding.” He continued, “She seemed to understand better than most, that life is for living, so say yes to life whenever possible.” Fan-favorite Pascuzzi also shared a story highlighting the deceased’s loving nature; “Though I never met her, Sunday once reached out to me with kind words after a stranger left a nasty comment”. She continued, “She is clearly so loved for being that caring, kind person”.
Being a fan of Survivor is an amazing experience, but the experience the cast members go through together is incomparable. The outpouring of love from Burquest’s castmates exemplifies the bonding that happens on the island. Survivor is expected to return this fall after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. May Sunday Burquest rest in peace.
Source: Jeff Probst, Adam Klein, David Wright, Bret LaBelle, Zeke Smith, Gabby Pascuzzi