The Tragic Death Of Comedian Candy Palmater

Comedian Candy Palmater died on December 25 at 53, as announced by her partner, and manager, Denise Tompkins, per CBC News. The cause of her death was not disclosed, but according to Tompkins, the Canadian comedian died at her home in Toronto. Palmater was an on-air personality who frequently hosted the daytime talk show "The Social," had appeared on episodes of "Trailer Park Boys," and was the creator and host of her own show "The Candy Show."

Tompkins used "The Candy Show" Instagram page to announe Palmater's death on Christmas day. "A great glowing spirit left our world today," a photo upload caption read. "I have few words. Candy passed away today at home suddenly," Palmater's partner added in the caption. The post was also shared on the show's Twitter account where fans sent their condolences while praising Palmater's talent. "I'm so sorry for your loss. She is a remarkable light. All my love," one follower replied. "Whenever she was on the radio, I would make sure I turned up the volume and stopped to listen. She was truly worth listening to," a fan wrote. "Same – when I saw she was co-hosting The Social I stopped anything domestic I was doing to listen to her. She caused a lot of laundry and dishes piles in my home!" another replied.

Palmater's impact extended far beyond her comedy, as she came from an impressively diverse background that allowed her to develop a unique skill set.

Although Candy Palmater was known as a comedian, she started out on a different path. "When I'm asked to describe myself, I always say I'm a gay native recovered lawyer turned feminist comic, who was raised by bikers in the wilds of northern New Brunswick," she told The Star in 2016. Whether it was performing stand up comedy, doing a radio show, or hosting her own variety series, the message from Palmater was always the same. "I'm very interested in loving kindness, and the notion of self-acceptance," she told The Star. "I feel like ... you're constantly being told you're not enough: not rich enough, not pretty enough, not thin enough," Palmater added.

Palmater had always dreamed of interviewing killer musical acts, and one of her goals for "The Candy Show" was to offer exposure to rising talent. "I'm looking for ways that we can connect with one another — I want listeners to connect with me but also connect with one another," she told The Star.

Connecting to an audience was crucial for Palmater, as she was also an activist for Canadian First Nations Mi'kmaq. In her eyes, comedy was a means to disseminate her message. "You will never catch me selling out my race or gender for the sake of a laugh," she told Windspeaker in 2010 (via AMMSA.com). "I am an activist first and foremost and I consider comedy just a different venue to do my activist work," Palmater continued.