Tim Russert Funeral Closed To The Public
Tim Russert 1950-2008
NBC News has announced that Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press”, died Friday June 13, 2008 at the age of 58 after suffering a heart attack while recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast.
Born May 7, 1950 in Buffalo, New York, Russert grew up in a predominantly Irish-Catholic neighborhood where he was raised by his father, Timothy Sr., a World War II veteran who simultaneously worked as a truck driver and a sanitation worker, and his mother, Elizabeth, a homemaker.
Russert was rushed to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, where resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Russert had just returned from putting his elderly father into a nursing home last week and a family vacation in Italy with his wife, journalist Maureen Orth, and son Luke to celebrate Luke’s graduation from Boston College. Earlier this year, Time magazine named Russert one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Russert was to have received a lifetime achievement award from the Newhouse School of Public Communication at Syracuse University on June 23. The school said the award would be presented posthumously. Russert was also the recipient of numerous awards for his work, including an Emmy in 2005 for his coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.
The funeral for Russert will reportedly be closed to the public with many Washington news companies closing for the event. The flags at the NBC headquarters are at half staff which is something normally reserved for statesmen.
Survivors include his wife, Maureen Orth, a writer for Vanity Fair magazine, whom he met at the 1976 Democratic National Convention; and their son, Luke.
Update:
Tim Russert Funeral Service Set For Wednesday
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This is definitely a loss. I always enjoyed listening to Tim Russert and his explanations of the political process. He made politics easy to understand and was not afraid to ask the challenging questions. My heart goes out to his family in their time of grief.
I really enjoyed listening to his program Meet The Press. He also took care of his aging father, just as my husband and I did, and I have a lot of admiration for his efforts in taking care of his dad.
I was very sad when I heard this news. I used to enjoy watching him on Meet The Press. Its sad that his father has to bury his son.
may he rest in peace.
We will miss you
It really is very sad news. No parent should ever have to bury their own child, and with Tim Russert’s father being elderly, I really hope the news of his son’s death will not be a death sentence for Bigg Russ as well. It’s truly a sad time for his family, as well as everyone who cared and loved him.
People hunger for the truth and for honesty. They find both when they meet a person they can trust and respect. Tim Russert was such a man. That is why there is such a widespread outpouring of grief over his death. We sorely need men and women who refuse to compromise their personal integrity and who would rather come clean with people and tell it like it is. We all had better hope that more people like him come along real soon. Our lives depend on it. Rest in peace and thank you, Tim. And thank you, Russert family.
John, you are so right. We’re saturated in society today with so much dishonesty, that losing a man like Tim Russert is a huge loss for us all.
I enjoyed his political update every morning on the Today Show. VERY BIG shoes to fill, if that’s at all possible. My prayers and sympathies to his family.
I was very sad and shocked to hear of the death of Tim Russert. Because of him, I understood the political process and looked forward to watching Meet The Press every Sunday. If I was going to be out of town, I would record the program. Tim was the last of his kind and no one will be able to fill his shoes. My prayers and thoughts are with his his family, as well as with his friends and colleagues at NBC.
Debbie and April, the outpouring of love, respect and admiration for Tim Russert all around the country shows just what a phenomenal man he was. His concern and care for his elderly father Big Russ is an inspiration for us all.
Yes it is sad but at least he did not suffer- although he did have diabeties. -Life goes on.
Tim, I have so much respect and admiration for you. You were such a rarity, a man of high character and devotion to your friends and family. You were taken far too soon. Buffalo loves you and will miss you. You made us so proud.
Tim; I am going to miss you very very much. My Sunday will never be the same again. Not only were you such a honest and kind man, but such a dedicated father and son. I hope that Maureen, Luke, Big Russ and the NBC/MSNBC family know how much America loved
OUR TIM. i know the angels have their arms wrapped around you.
Each time I have watched something on TV about Tim Russert’s passing, I find myself sobbing as I did when Princess Diana died. At the end of Meet the Press today, when he wished his father Happy Father’s Day and he said he was so proud to be Luke’s dad, I broke down. I don’t know why I am grieving like this. I never met him, but I sure felt as if I did. I always looked forward to watching him Sunday mornings and I made sure to watch him when I knew he was going on be on the Today Show. He WAS the people’s journalists. As this election nears, it’s going to be so hard not having him to help guide us through it all and we need him more than ever this year. He was like a friend to us all and he left us way too soon. What a man! My heart truly aches for his entire family.
Tim Russert was a political icon.He is already terribly missed by so many.He searched the truth for the public and for that we are greatful.
It will be difficult to find someone to “man” his chair.I think David Gregory is a good candidate.
God bless Tim Russert and his entire family,including his NBC family and his loyal friends.
Listening to Tim Russert talk about political issues made the entire political process understandable, and I really enjoyed his down-to-earth personality, which is nearly (if not impossible) to find amongst other so-called icons on television or radio.
The world has lost one of the best father, son, husband, brother, family, friend and THE PEOPLE’S JOURNALIST. Tim you’ll be greatly missed, your beautiful smile, your intellegence, your love for others, you on Meet The Press etc.God bless you ,my thoughts and prayers are with your family. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. God bless you all.
[...] Tim Russert was born on May 7, 1950 in Buffalo, New York and died on Friday, June 13th at the age of 58, after suffering a heart attack while recording voiceovers for Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast. [...]
As a fan what do we do now. I may have been a fan but Tim was also my friend. He made me feel better about myself and my family. I am going to miss this gentle giant. My best to his family.
I will truly miss my Sunday mornings with Tim. I still cannot believe he is gone. I cried again yesterday and I still feel bad today. My father wasn’t the greatest, so I took my ques on how to behave and act from Tim. Thank you again Tim! Luke I think you are a very lucky man to have had him as your father.
Derrick
WHAT A WONDERFUL PERSON!.HIS MANNER AND WAY OF GOING WILL BE GREATLY MISSED BY EVERYONE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO TOUCH THEIR LIVES AS HE COULD EXPLAIN SO CLEARLY WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO GET ACROSS THAT THERE WERE VERY FEW QUESTIONS LEFT AFTER HE FINISHED. AS FOR THE FAMILY AND HIS DAD GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS TIME OF READJUSTMENT. WE WERE ALL SO BLESSED TO HAVE HIM IN OUR LIVES AND TO BE ABLE TO FEEL THE KINDNESS,LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT POOR FROM HIS HEART. I NEVER MET TIM RUSSERT BUT I KNOW FROM MY OWN HOME HE WAS A VERY SPPECIAL PERSON. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANYONE ELSE QUITE LIKE HIM. GOD BLES EACH OF YOU. SINCERELY, D.M. ELLIOTT …CHARLOTTESVILLE,VIRGINIA
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