Joel Klug, who competed against Sonja on Survivor: Borneo and used to be the sixth contestant to be voted off that debut season, shared a tribute to his worn costar following news of her loss of life.

“I magnificent learned that Sonja Christopher has passed away,” the 52-year-historical wrote on Fb. “If no longer for Survivor we could well have by no means crossed paths in life.”

Joel persevered, “We kept alive to over the previous 25 years and I’m able to in fact dispute, we by no means had a unfavorable interaction. She used to be a comical and exceptionally form person. We were alive to closing month…she stated she used to be doing what we both had expertise in, Surviving. She will most certainly be overlooked.”

Sonja used to be born in Olympia, Wash. and later settled in Walnut Creek, Calif. She used to be fifty three and had magnificent passed through a most cancers battle and a breakup when she competed on Survivor.

“I used to be newly convalescing from breast most cancers treatment,” she told Leisure Weekly in 2020. “And I had been in a 11-year relationship and my accomplice got consolation in assorted locations for the period of that time of the most cancers. So I had moved to a senior retirement neighborhood, and I used to be on my have, no ties, my son used to be grown and caring for himself. I used to be reading the morning paper, and it stated something in an article about CBS shopping for 16 Americans to solid away on a abandoned island and peep who could well continue to exist for 39 days.”

Sonja persevered, “Effectively, I had incessantly wanted to secret agent if I could well continue to exist the employ of only my fingers and my wits. As I be taught on, it stated something about the one who stayed on the longest would acquire 1,000,000 bucks, and so they'd vote someone off every three days, and the program used to be known as Survivor.”

Weeks after Sonja became the main contestant to be voted off the veil following her team's loss in an immunity grief, Richard Hatch, who she had serenaded alongside with her ukelele in a memorable and heartwarming scene, ended up as the main winner of Survivor.

“I did search records from of Rich to signal my ukulele at one of our reunions,” Sonja told EW. “So on the wait on it says, 'Hello Sonja. Your ukulele introduced me joy, and you mostly carry out. Like, Rich Hatch. I survived.'”

Sonja, who worked as a song therapist after retiring, looked wait on fondly at her time on Survivor and even owned the title of the main contestant to be voted off.

“Oh my God, what an expertise! I'm so fortunate to have had it,” she told EW. “If any individual acknowledges me—which is nothing like it extinct to be—and asks, 'Weren't you on Survivor?' I'll dispute, 'Yes, I surely have the uncertain distinction of being the main person ever voted off Survivor. Now, how many contributors can dispute that? I mediate it's somewhat comical.”