Tim Russert

We are deeply saddened by the death of Tim Russert.  I have thoroughly enjoyed his journalism and integrity for reporting the news and talking about the important issues.  His voice as host to this year's primary debate was fantastic.  He asked the right questions and never let anyone off the hook.  He was direct and we always knew that he had done his homework. 

I've even cried some tears, shocked that this man who appeared so healthy, so strong, so alive, could so suddenly drop dead of a massive heart attack. 

Now a bit of trivia, In 2000, Tim Russert scribbled "Florida, Florida, Florida" on his little dry-erase board with red marker memorably summing up the outcome of the presidential election hinging on Florida.  His little whiteboard is preserved in a museum in Washington D.C.

I just thought you would enjoy knowing that his scribbles are worth a heck of a lot of money.

The following information is courtesy of Wikipedia:

On the afternoon of June 13, 2008, Russert collapsed at the offices of WRC-TV, which houses the Washington, D.C. bureau of NBC News where he was the Bureau Chief, while recording voiceovers for the Sunday edition of Meet the Press. Despite immediate attempts at resuscitation by EMS and transportation to Sibley Memorial Hospital, Russert never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead a short time later. News of his death was reported live on NBC, CNBC, and MSNBC by Tom Brokaw.  He had just returned from a family vacation in Italy, where he went to celebrate his son's graduation from Boston College.  While his wife and son remained in Italy, Russert returned to prepare for his Sunday television show.

An autopsy, performed on the day of his death, determined that his history of diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease lead to sudden cardiac death. The precise cause of death was a cardiac arrhythmia caused by coronary thrombosis of the left anterior descending artery, often called a widow maker in the medical field.  On the special reports program, Russert's friend Dr. Nancy Newmann stated that the autopsy showed coronary artery disease in the left anterior descending artery, and a fresh blood clot was visible on one of these plaques. This was most certainly the cause of Russert's sudden death.

On the evening of his death, the entire, nearly commercial-free half hour of NBC Nightly News was dedicated to Russert's memory, featuring previous news segments with Russert and interviews with some of Russert's colleagues. Dateline NBC also served as a memorial for Russert, by highlighting the heights of both his early life and political and journalistic career in television. No other news was covered in the broadcast. The entire episode of Dateline also was a tribute to Russert.

On NBC Nightly News, tributes to the man included those by Obama, McCain, Ethyl Kennedy, Bob Schieffer, Bob Woodward, and others.

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I believe it helps to fully understand why a man that appeared so full of health and vitality could tragically and so suddenly leave us. 

Our prayers and thoughts are with his family, friends, and collegues during this terribly difficult time.  Tim will be deeply missed by all of us and remembered for a lifetime.

Susan