Survivor: Palau castaway Cassandra Ann "Angie" Jakusz has passed away at age 40 from a long battle with cancer.
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Angie, who competed on Survivor's tenth season in 2005 when she was 25 years old, died in New Orleans on January 8 after she battled a rare form of squamous cell colorectal cancer, Us Weekly reported.
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According to her obituary, 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."
Angie reportedly worked as the general manager of St. Lawrence bar in New Orleans and was also a founding member of the New Orleans Noise Coalition.
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She had reportedly lived in Wisconsin, San Francisco, and New York before settling down in Louisiana.
When she appeared on Survivor, Angie was a bartender and artist who was given the nickname "No Fun Angie."
Angie was an early target in the game but proved her value to her tribe by performing well in challenges. She was ultimately the eighth castaway voted out of the season on a revote at Tribal Council.
"People have to remember back in 2005 women weren't cast on Survivor with dreads and tattoos," Survivor: Palau castaway Coby Archa told People of Angie's unconventional looks.
"She broke the casting barrier. Fans related to her story so much. And a lot of people wanted to see her play again for her strength."
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"We had heard from her family 3 years ago that she was battling cancer," Coby added.
"We raised some money for her treatments. She wasn't into the fame, just the experience of Survivor. She came, she played, and she went back to her life in New Orleans. She liked her life that way."
Angie is survived by her husband of nine years, Steven Calandra; her brother Jon Jakusz; her parents Linda and Wayne Jakusz; and one niece and one nephew.
A graveside service took place on Wednesday at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Metairie, LA, and a GoFundMe account was created to assist her family with medical bills and debt from Angie's illness.
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Angie is the second Survivor: Palau cast member to pass away, as Jenn Lyon died at age 37 in 2010 after a battle with breast cancer.
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