Rod Durham, a high school teacher who appeared on Season 4 of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss, was found dead over the weekend in a Fort Lauderdale motel.
He was 52 years old.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Durham was visiting the area during his school’s spring break.
While those close to him have speculated that Durham passed away from diabetic shock, his cause of death remains undetermined at this time.
“He always made everyone smile — even if you were having the worst day,” Rocky Hana, Leon County Schools administrator, told the newspaper after learning of Rod’s death.
“If you saw Rod, your day got better.
“His laugh was simply infectious. … Everyone loved Rod Durham. There are tens of thousands of kids today who are broken-hearted.”
Durham rose to reality TV fame in 2014 as a contestant on Extreme Weight Loss. He shed over 180 pounds on the program, standing out for his positive attitude and kindness.
Extreme Weight Loss trainer Heidi Powell shared a photo of herself and Durham on Instagram in light of Rod’s death and wrote the following as a caption to it:
Heaven just got a lot brighter today when Rod entered the pearly gates.
While I am selfishly so sad and completely devastated that I won’t get to see him on earth anymore, I am rejoicing for the spirit he is carrying with him and spreading to everyone up there.
We send our condolences to Durham’s friends, family members and loved ones.
