'Funniest Person In Austin' Lashonda Lester Passes Away

AUSTIN, TX — Thursday could be viewed as the day the laughter died. On the same day Don Rickles died, news came of the death of Lashonda Lester — named the Funniest Person in Austin last year, and a fixture at local comedy venues.

A post on the Cap City Comedy Club Facebook page alerted to Lester's death. No cause of death has been released, but the comedian was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease in 2015. A GoFundMe page page was set up after her diagnosis to help defray medical costs.

Adding to the sadness of her passing was that she reportedly was just a few weeks away from recording her first half-hour Comedy Central special, as portals devoted to comedy noted. Past TV credits included Nickelodeon’s NickMom Night Out and FOX’s Laughs.

Aside from her television appearances, Turner was a prolific performer, much in demand throughout Austin for her comedic prowess.

Born in Detroit, the Austin transplant appeared on the NBC show "Last Comic Standing" in 2015, and in the 2016 film "Funniest," a documentary chronicling the "Funniest Person in Austin" competition. She opened a show at the Paramount Theater in Austin last week for comedian Marc Maron, who expressed his sorrow over her death via Twitter.

Fans were stunned to hear of her death, expressing their grief on social media. She last posted on Facebook April 5 at 11:33 p.m., just hours before her death: "Trying to achieve peace and relaxation tonight," she wrote. "Been working on those breathing techniques y'all posted. Fingers crossed!"

Officials at Cap City Comedy Club expressed their sorrow on Facebook: "She is and will always be our hero," they wrote. "When you walked into our club, we knew we had a show. We will miss you terribly. RIP."

>>> Photo via Facebook