A GoFundMe page set up by Duarte’s family revealed that he is survived by his wife Jessica and their six-year-old daughter, Oakley. The page noted, “This heartbreak came without warning, leaving Jessica to incur the expense of bringing him back home to California and covering funeral expenses. During this time, and in the months/years ahead, we want to make sure that Jessica and Oakley are taken care of as Michael would have wanted them to be. Your support would bring comfort, stability, and a reminder that they are not carrying this weight alone.”
Duarte’s passion for food began at age 14, working under his uncle at a small Mexican restaurant in Calipatria, near the US-Mexico border. Over the years, he worked in various San Diego restaurants before quitting during the COVID-19 pandemic to focus on building his online following. After a period of rehabilitation due to a mental health crisis, Duarte returned to both restaurant work and social media, realizing how much joy creating content brought him.
“Over time, I began to see it wasn’t just a hobby – it could be a business, something bigger than myself,” he told People. Duarte’s enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to sharing food with the world made a lasting impact on those who knew him and his millions of fans. He will be remembered for his generosity, his talent, and the love he shared with his family and community.
More Stories
Teen Girl Reveals Her Bucket List Ahead of Total Vision Loss – See What She Wants to Do
Bob Weir, the heartbeat of the Grateful Dead, dies at 78
The Final Instructions Renee Nicole Good Left for Her Children — Revealed After Her Death and Now Haunting Everyone Who Reads Them The grief didn’t come all at once — it unfolded word by word. After Renee Nicole Good went out and was tragically shot, her family revealed something they had kept private until now: the final instructions she had given her children. They weren’t dramatic. They weren’t long. But they were devastating in their clarity. According to relatives, Renee had spoken calmly, almost protectively, telling her children exactly how she wanted them to live if anything ever happened to her — how to take care of one another, who to listen to, and what not to carry with them. One line, shared by the family, immediately spread across social media, stopping people mid-scroll and leaving thousands in tears. It wasn’t fear she passed on — it was strength, guidance, and love delivered before tragedy ever struck. As the words circulated online, strangers began sharing them as if they were their own, turning a private mother’s final message into a collective moment of mourning that now refuses to fade quietly….