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‘Survivor: Gabon’ Contestant Dead At 40: How Did Dan Kay Die?

By Lawrence Arboleda
Published on: 22:12 PST, Jan 3, 2017

Survivor: Gabon contestant Dan Kay has died “unexpectedly” on New Year’s Eve, as previously reported by People.

Kay, the eighth person to be voted out on Survivor: Gabon back in 2008, was an attorney at Brookline, Hampshire. He died at the age 40. He earned a bachelor’s degreee at UMass-Amherst and a law degree from Syracuse University.

Kay was survived by his two children, Reese Elizabeth and Jackson “Jax” Russell-Reid, his girlfriend Jennifer DePietro, mother Jean-Ann, and sister Andrea.

The Brookline Police told Heavy that there was no foul play involved warranting a police investigation. As of this writing, no information as to what caused Dan Kay’s death has been released to the public.

Dan Kay’s obituary confirms that he “died unexpectedly on December 31, 2016.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWW2yc_LRYw

Survivor: Gabon host Jeff Probst took to Twitter to send his condolences to Kay’s family.

“I just heard the very sad news about the sudden loss of Dan Kay of Survivor: Gabon. The Survivor family sends our love to Dan’s family,” he wrote.

During the showing of Survivor: Gabon, which aired in Africa, Kay described himself as an “athletic kid growing up.” In his obituary, he was described as someone who loves “running, skiing, listening to music, and attending Crossway Christian Church.”

‘Survivor: Gabon’ pre-finale celebration with Susie Smith, Jessica Kiper, Robert Crowley, Dan Kay, Ken Hoang. [Image by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]

It is written in his obituary that his “desire to be challenged and his quest for adventure lead to his participation on the reality show, Survivor.”

Fellow Survivor contestants and fans of the reality show took to social media to express their grief over Kay’s death and to send condolences to the family he left behind.

Cristina Coria, a Survivor: Cook Islands contestant, had many great things to say about Dan Kay to Heavy.

“I don’t know how he died but I do know he spoke highly of his children and how much he loved them. He was an amazing guy and I got to hang out with him in Boston a few months ago. I have nothing but great things to say about him.”

As stated in his obituary, Dan Kay had a productive life, both as an academic and as an athlete.

“He grew up in Walpole, MA where he enjoyed playing football for the Walpole Rebels. After graduating from Walpole High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree from UMass-Amherst and a law degree from Syracuse University,” according to the obituary.

“In that position, he was employed as a Supervisory Contracting Officer as a civilian for the U.S. Air Force at Hanscom Air Force Base. He was a member of the National Contract Management Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association. He was known for his hard work, dedication, attention to detail and strong work ethic,” the obituary added.

The obituary reveals that Dan Kay’s funeral service will be held on Saturday from 1 to 2:30 pm at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory in Manchester.

Those who wish to send memorial donations can do so through the address Crossway Christian Church, 504 Main Dunstable Rd., Nashua, NH 03062, or to a charity of your choosing, says the obituary.

[Featured Image by Twitter]

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