Toronto comedian Sandra Carusi lost her battle with breast cancer on Aug. 13.
Carusi had been battling cancer for the last five years and was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in April 2014.
Carusi, who hosted Inside Jokes on 640 Toronto and produced The Parenting Show and The Dating & Relationship Show on the same station, passed away peacefully surrounded by family.
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In 2017, Carusi was battling a fifth round of breast cancer. The tumour was large, painful and aggressive.
It had been an extremely emotional time for Carusi, who was a single mother of two young boys. But she channelled that emotion into comedy and towards helping and inspiring others who are facing the same or similar health issues.
Mike Stafford from The Morning Show with Stafford & Supriya shared his thoughts on Carusi’s death on-air on Aug. 14.
“Sandra had been sick for about five years. She had breast cancer and she’d be very honest to admit that because she’d work with various foundations. And then she got better, she went into remission. She was fighting and it was during this battle she actually came up with this idea about comedians just shooting the shite about the world of standup, which is one of the most killer worlds you could ever want to get into,” Stafford said.
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“Sandra was one of the most resilient people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know, let alone work with. Everything else you’ve heard about her was also true: funny, passionate, creative, and caring. But above all, I’ll remember her dogged determination to continue living life on her own terms, essentially laughing in the face of her illness,” Nathan Smith of 640 Toronto shared with Global News.
Rob Chiaramida of Corus Entertainment said, “Sandra was a one of a kind individual and made a lasting impression on everyone she ever came in contact with. Her larger-than-life personality, her laugh, her rather interesting sense of humour, her kindness, loyalty and her absolute love and passion for radio is what we will remember most about Sandra. She will truly be missed.”
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Condolences poured in over social media once news of her passing spread.
—With files from Angie Seth