Former Pirate Master contestant and Deputy District Attorney of Reno, NV Cheryl Kosewicz was found dead in her home this past Friday from an apparent suicide. She was 35-years-old. Kosewicz’s boyfriend, Ryan O’Neil, took his own life two months ago. CBS recently announced they were pulling the plug on Pirate Master due to poor ratings. She also had appeared in a recent issue of The Enquirer, although the reason is unclear.
Cheryl had not kept her troubles to herself. She posted on fellow contestant Nessa Nemir’s MySpace page just before she died, saying that she was “floating around lost.” She also posted the week before to a friend, “now it’s up to me to make sure I get up every morning to handle the day.” Her death is still under investigation, according to KOLO-TV/Reno, although fellow cast members have stated that it was suicide on various websites such as MySpace and Facebook.
According to a Pirate Master cast member, who asked not to be named, Kosewicz had missed work two days in a row. She was found in her home on July 27. The cast member went on to say that Kosewicz had been traumatized by the death of her boyfriend and took the news that CBS was canceling Pirate Master very hard, saying she was “super upset.”
Another cast member said that she was “an amazing person and it is a terrible tragedy but I would like people to remember her for her positive traits.”
Cheryl grew up in Washington state and attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English. She later attended law school at Northwestern School of Law in Portland and worked her way to deputy district attorney of Reno, NV. Cheryl was the fourth person eliminated on CBS’s Pirate Master. She is survived by her parents, Ted and Elizabeth, her brother, Mike, her grandmother Wenona Ried, and her two dogs, Justice and Sassie.
A funeral service is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31 at 10am at Walton Funeral Home in Reno, NV. The family has requested that donations be made to Kids Kottage, in care of: Washoe County Social Services, P O Box 11130, Reno, NV 89520-0027. Condolences messages for friends and family of Cheryl Kosewicz can be left at: www.waltonsfuneralhome.com
CBS released the following statement: “Everyone at CBS that knew her is shocked and saddened by the news of Cheryl Kosewicz’s untimely and unexpected passing. We will remember Cheryl for her extraordinary energy and compassion and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends.”
-Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
Source: KOLO-TV/Reno
(Image courtesy of CBS)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
