The family of legendary TV host Regis Philbin is continuing to mourn his loss after he died Friday at the age of 88. On Monday, in a statement provided to Us Weekly, Philbin’s family broke their silence, thanking his fans for the outpouring of love and support they have received since news of his death first broke over the weekend.
In the statement from a Philbin family spokesperson, the family said that they are “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love” they have received in recent days. After news of Philbin’s death was reported, fans of the longtime TV host have been taking to social media to send their condolences to the family and pay tribute. The family’s statement went on to request that those wishing “to honor Regis’s memory” can make a “donation to http://foodbanknyc.org/, to help people in need in his beloved New York, especially his home borough of The Bronx. Thank you.”
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Born in The Bronx, New York on Aug. 23, 1931, Philbin graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1953 with a sociology degree. He would go on to serve in the U.S. Navy before landing his first job in the entertainment industry in 1955, working as a page for the Tonight Show. He hosted his first talk show in San Diego during early 1960, and in 1967, his national career was launched when he became Joey Bishop’s sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show. He would go on to pave his talk show career while also hosting game shows in the 1970s before returning to New York in the 1980s. It was there in New York that he began hosting Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee, a talk show he continued hosting until his retirement in 2011.
On Friday, July 24, at the age of 88, Philbin passed away. His family confirmed his passing in a statement just a day later, stating that they “are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday.” The family remembered Philbin “for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about.” They also asked for privacy.
Given his close ties to Notre Dame and the South Bend area, a funeral service for Philbin will be held at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, university spokesman Dennis Brown confirmed to the South Bend Tribune Sunday. He will then be buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery on campus. A date for the services has not yet been announced.
