‘The Challenge’ star Tyler Duckworth laid to rest in private funeral
“The Challenge” star Tyler Duckworth was laid to rest in a private funeral service over the weekend.
The TV personality’s memorial service was hosted at the Augustana Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on Saturday.
Duckworth’s co-star Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio attended and shared emotional behind-the-scenes photos from the service via Instagram.
In one photo, Devenanzio, 44, was seen touching a wooden urn with his head lowered and his eyes closed. In another snap, he was seen embracing another attendee.
He also shared photos of Duckworth’s memorial service pamphlets, which read, “Celebrating the life of Tyler,” and featured the biblical passage Philippians 4:6-7.
Devenanzio also spoke a few words at the funeral and was photographed standing at the pulpit.
“Lights will guide you home 🙏,” he captioned the photos. “And I hope wherever they lead you, you know how deeply you were loved, and how much of you we’ll carry with us forever.”
“Rest easy, brother 🕊️,” Devenanzio concluded.
Also in attendance was Greg Bennett-Cesarini, who previously made several cameos on “Real Housewives of New Jersey.”
He recalled via Instagram meeting Duckworth in 2007 and the latter being a “presence in [his] life for the last 20 years.”
Bennett-Cesarini also referred to his late pal as “the smartest person in a room.”
When Duckworth, who was 44, tragically died on Aug. 11, Devenanzio also penned a special social media tribute to him.
“You were more than a friend. More than a roommate. You were the brother I never had,” he wrote, also sharing a montage of photos of Duckworth.
At the time, the late reality star’s mom, Joni, confirmed his passing, writing via Facebook that his cause of death was unknown.
Duckworth was found unresponsive “up against the door,” according to a report by the Grand Forks Police Department.
Page Six previously reported that Duckworth’s bathtub was overflowing and his downstairs neighbor also complained about water leaking through the ceiling.
Per officers, it’s unclear how long Duckworth had been deceased, but witnesses saw him the day prior to him being found.
He had recently undergone surgery, though it’s unclear if it contributed to his death, per the US Sun.
Duckworth made his last public appearance for a Challenge Mania event in Minneapolis on July 31.
