HGTV Stars You May Not Know Have Passed Away

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For all the years that it has been around and the many shows it has platformed, HGTV has turned many an inspired individual into a star. Before their appearance on the home improvement channel, many of these personalities were relative unknowns or just people doing what they did best. That is, until their HGTV association pushed them toward the brink of fame and turned them into household names among television-watching masses. Such an outcome was only expected, given HGTV's longstanding popularity — evident most visibly in industry statistics that placed the channel's viewership at over a million in 2018, behind only Fox News, ESPN, and MSNBC (per Architectural Digest). 

In fact, HGTV's role in offering emotional comfort has also been acknowledged. "A lot of my anxious patients like HGTV. The shows soothe and hit the need for curiosity," mental health expert Dr. Ken Yeager told Self. It wouldn't be a reach to give credit to HGTV's cast, crew, and guests for giving the channel this reputation it enjoys.

Sadly, many HGTV personalities working both on-screen and behind it have died, but not without leaving an impact on the channel. Here are some HGTV stars you may not know have passed away. 

Byron and Catherine Cocke attained one-time HGTV fame in 2011 with an appearance on the remodeling show "My Big Amazing Renovation," which featured a project on their historic family home. Tragedy struck the Georgia couple just six years later when they died in a fatal plane crash near Savannah. As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the couple — both notable business names in the Savannah community — was on their way to Cobb County when their charter flight began experiencing technical issues. The trouble was later revealed to have been caused by faulty installations that triggered "a total loss of engine power," as stated by the National Transportation Safety Board. 

The pilot, Randy Hunter, communicated the challenges he was facing to air traffic controllers and was directed to land. The outlet reported that before the crash that killed all three onboard, Hunter told the personnel: "I'll probably make it." The Cockes are survived by five children, who were transferred into their family's care after the death of their parents. The pair were both in the housing business, with Byron leading CF Real Estate Services as the co-CEO and Catherine working as an interior designer. "They were philanthropic, creative, intelligent, caring, and entrepreneurial," Byron's business partner Brett Finkelstein said in a statement, per Multifamily Executive magazine. 

Chris Madden was a pure creative through and through. The aesthetic whiz — whose client roster included a host of A-list notables, all the way from Toni Morrison to Oprah Winfrey, per The Wall Street Journal — emerged as a prominent face among home designers in the 90s. Though her early beginnings were in fashion, Madden found her calling in the world of publishing and she began churning out books that put her on the path of becoming an industry authority. As noted by The New York Times, the 1988 photobook "Interior Visions: Great American Designers and the Showcase House" was the inaugural project, followed by other popular titles like "A Room of Her Own: Women's Personal Space" and "The Soul of a House: Decorating with Warmth, Style, and Comfort." 

Her command over the subject of design established her as a pioneering face on HGTV with one of the channel's earliest shows, "Interiors by Design." Her understanding of residential beauty was evident not just in her words, but tangibly, too. She once owned a majestic carriage house worth $2 million — complete with cozy interiors and stonework architecture – in Purchase, New York with her husband Kevin Madden. The couple later seemingly moved to Florida, where Madden tragically died after she took a fall at home. NYT reported that Madden had been living with a blood vessel disorder called hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and had undergone multiple brain surgeries over the years.

Frank Miller was a core member of HGTV's "Flip or Flop." He was close pals with the show's celebrity hosts and was gifted with just the coolest nickname ever: The Tank. A contractor with an extended association with the show, Miller was a known name among longstanding fans. So when news of his deteriorating health came to light, it was emotional. During his time on "Flip or Flop," Miller began experiencing discomfort in his throat, prompting host Tarek El Moussa — a cancer survivor himself — to urge his friend to seek medical attention, as the duo shared on "The Doctors." The diagnosis pointed to laryngeal cancer. 

The disease seemingly affected Miller severely, evident most markedly in his changed appearance and through El Moussa's social media updates about his health. "He's been through so many radiation treatments, chemo treatments, he's lost so much weight. But I can say he's a fighter, absolutely," El Moussa said. Support poured in for the beloved HGTV contractor, with monetary contributions coming in for his treatment as well. In July 2017, El Moussa informed audiences that Miller was rushed to the hospital, writing: "His body is shutting down" (via Instagram). Miller passed away later that same year. 

Brandon Davis' death was an emotional moment for HGTV's widely popular "Home Town." A crew member on the renovation show, Davis' contribution spanned all the way from videography to production, leaving show host Erin Napier gushing about how he "told all of our stories so beautifully, better than any of us ever could" (via Instagram). He died in 2018, survived by his widow Brooke Davis-Jefcoat and their son Kingston. Reasons for his death were not widely made clear, with an obituary by his family only stating that he died of natural causes at the age of 31. 

His death, however, did not sever his association with "Home Town." When his widow Davis-Jefcoat and her new husband Robbie Jefcoat began house-hunting in Mississippi, who should step in to help but Davis' ex-colleagues and friends, "Home Town" hosts Ben and Erin Napier. On a tearjerking episode of the show in 2021, Davis-Jefcoat revealed that the famous designer couple supported her son and her after Davis' death (via People). "It was a great time of healing for me and for Kingston," she said. Davis-Jefcoat often shares snippets from her past life with Davis on social media, writing in one post: "I'm so grateful for his life and how it continues to impact mine. I love you, B." 

With just a brief appearance on "Christina in the Country," Jessica Waldron made a memorable impression on HGTV audiences. Show host Christina Hall was sought out to make wheelchair-friendly upgrades to Waldron's home in Tennessee after her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis left her increasingly immobile. "My word of the year is ease," she said in an episode, requesting Hall for a design with greater access (via HGTV UK). Unfortunately, Waldron could not live to see the renovations Hall made, passing away in November 2022 before the project was completed. She is survived by her husband and two children. 

A clinical psychologist from Stanford University, Waldron became acquainted with Hall through her sister-in-law Cassie Schienle, who is also a close friend of the HGTV host. Echoing the emotional value that the project held for her, especially in the light of Waldron's death, Hall recalled for People: "This project was extremely difficult for me as well as the whole crew. At each monthly check in, we saw Jessica's health continue to decline." The circumstances also induced a panic attack in Hall, who found it hard to cope with her client's deteriorating condition. "Although she never got to see her home remodel complete, it was her vision for her family and something I am proud to have done for them." 

Sean Dougherty's appearance on HGTV's "Beachfront Bargain Hunt" may not have been extensive, but it sure was impactful. The reactions to his death made this clear, with fans of the reality show remembering the late BASE jumping enthusiast, who came on the show in search of a dream beachside home in Jersey Shore. "He freely worked with a broad smile on his face and gladly took second place to his expert contractor," one fan wrote under an obituary shared for Dougherty by O'Leary Funeral Home. The remembrance mentioned that he died in May 2022 at the age of 43. A cause of death was not mentioned, though, given Dougherty's sporting passions, certain media reports hinted at a BASE jumping accident. 

While Dougherty had a washing and painting business in Pennsylvania, it was his zest for the outdoors that took the fore on his social media. He regularly gave Instagram followers a glimpse into his adventurous outdoor activities that ranged from surfing to biking and, of course, BASE jumping. His final post showed him plunging out of a chopper alongside a caption that read: "Definitely one of the better Tuesdays I've had in a very long time." During a jumping stint in Fayetteville once, he told WVNS-TV: "Once I get on the platform I tend to kind of relax and I get a calm that comes over me ... almost like a peaceful feeling right before I jump."

Gail O'Neill's overarching claim to fame was as a pioneering 90s supermodel with a glittering resume boasting some of the biggest brand names in the world. Across covers of esteemed magazines like Sports Illustrated and Vogue to fashion houses the likes of Donna Karan and Calvin Klein, O'Neill had an ubiquitous presence that made it near-impossible to forget her face. HGTV fans will recognize her for different reasons though, since her fame transcended the scope of fashion. In her later life as a television presenter, O'Neill joined the network as a host on "Mission: Organization" and "Public Places, Private Spaces," emerging as one of the most notable HGTV faces in the 2000s. 

In the words of a former modeling agent of the host: "Everybody wanted to work with Gail O'Neill" (via The Hollywood Reporter). Before her death in 2023, O'Neill had also forayed into journalism — a natural progression from her days as an outspoken Black model who was unafraid to dip her toes into advocacy for social causes. She worked with the Atlanta nonprofit ArtsATL, where colleagues reminisced their time with the late model fondly. "She had the ability to take a reader along for the ride on her journey of discovery," executive editor Scott Freeman said, per ArtsATL. Though a cause of O'Neill's death was not revealed, the organization mentioned that she had an illness during her final years.