We were saddened to report over the weekend that the legendary television host Regis Philbin had passed away at the age of 88. Now, his cause of death has finally been revealed.
“He died of heart disease (natural),” the Chief Medical Examiner Office in Connecticut clarified in a statement per Fox News [1].
This came after Philbin’s family said that he died of “natural causes.”
“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,” they said in a statement.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”
Philbin was best known for hosting his “Live!” morning show alongside cohosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa. He was also known as the host of the popular gameshow “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” His career in television spanned decades, earning him millions of fans over the years.
This comes after Gifford opened up about the last time she saw Philbin, explaining that she went to visit him at his home in Connecticut recently.
“I was just so grateful the Lord gave me that final time,” Gifford said [2]. “And it was so precious because when I talked to Joy the day that I found out right after he had passed, she said, ‘Kathie he hadn’t laughed in a long, long time.’ She said, ‘I was so worried about him.'”
“I think he was like Frank,” she added. “He was just ready, you know? … And she said, ‘The day that we came to have lunch with you was the last time I heard him laugh.’ That will forever be a precious gift the Lord gave me, that I got to laugh again with one of my best friends in all my lifetime.”
Gifford added that during this visit, she could tell that Philbin’s health was failing.
“I sensed much more fragility than I’d seen in him since the last time in January out in Los Angeles,” Gifford explained.
“We sat right here on my screened porch, and we laughed ourselves sick. We always picked up right where we left off. … After they left I just thought to myself, ‘Lord, is that the last time I’m going to see my friend?’ Because he was failing, I could tell.”
This opinion piece was written by Mark Baker on July 27, 2020. It originally appeared in UpliftingToday [3] and is used by permission.
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