St. Claire was one of the oldest competitors ever on the CBS hit show.
Donald Anthony St. Claire, one half of the lovable grandparents duo who competed in season 6 of The Amazing Race, has died. He was 87.
According to his obituary, Don died an hour and a half southeast of Sacramento, California in Angels Camp on Aug. 31. TMZ, which first broke the news Saturday, spoke to Don's son, Greg, who told the outlet Don collapsed and died at his home. Greg also told TMZ the family believed he suffered some type of heart issue. The death came as a shock to the family, considering Don recently had a checkup with doctors and reportedly was told the results looked great.
Don and his wife, Mary Jean, appeared in season 6 of the hit CBS show and finished in eighth place. Their journey ended after they were eliminated in Germany.
Don and Mary are one of the oldest to ever compete in the long-running reality TV series. Meredith and Gretchen from season 7 are tied with Don and Mary as the oldest team to compete, with both teams averaging 67.5 years at the time of their filming.
When they signed up for The Amazing Race, Mary said, "I take that as a challenge" when asked if they were considered too old to take part in the grueling globe-trotting competition series. Don chimed in and said, "We are in the best physical condition that we’ve been in the last 30 years. The other teams are gonna have to worry about keeping up with us.”
The lovable couple offered memorable moments and quotes during their run on the show. There was one instance where Don said, "I don't think we can outrun them," prompting May to reply with, "Oh yes we can. For a million dollars can't you outrun anybody?"
Another time, following a flat tire that briefly halted their trip, Don looked into the camera and said, "Once again, the fickle finger of fate has diddled us."
According to his obit, Don was born Jan. 10, 1935, in Oakland, California. The Stanford University and Hahnemann Medical School alum served on the clinical faculty at Stanford and practiced internal medicine in the area for more than four decades.
Known to his friends as "The Kahuna," Don's pursuits included skiing, fly-fishing, playing the piano, horseback riding and traveling. He was a big indulger of wine, so much so he once won the International Wine Maker of the Year award.
Don is survived by his wife, six children, 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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