Downs' wife, Ruth Shaheen Downs, whom he married in 1944, died on March 28, 2017, at age 95. Americans tend to be on the optimistic side and with justification, I think.". Hugh Downs, the avuncular, versatile TV personality, whose career stretched back to the birth of television, died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. "I can imagine Hugh as the male Auntie Mame, taking his great-grandchild scuba diving, hang gliding -- all of the adventurous things Hugh himself did," she said. Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news in a career that lasted more than 60 years, has died … Hugh Downs (born Hugh Malcolm Downs) American broadcaster. "I had the thoughts that Americans reacted in a way that might be interesting to gather the thoughts of some people of some visibility and many walks of life," he told Walters in 2002. Mr. Downs died July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. Barbara Walters. He was also the co-host of NBC's Today Show from 1962-71. "Everything from visiting both the North and South Poles to conversing with a gorilla, to swimming with sharks to training for a mission in space.". "My loyalty was with the person tuning in," he said, according to AP. Downs was born in 1921 in Akron, Ohio to Edith (née Hicks) and Milton Howard Downs, who worked in business. Downs was married to Ruth Shaheen from 1944 until she died in 2017. He was 99. When Did Hugh Downs Die? Following his retirement from the TV newsmagazine, Downs continued to author books, including his 2002 book "My America: What My Country Means to Me, by 150 Americans from All Walks of Life." Last 6 months Died Before Age 30 People Alive Over 85 Lived to 100 By Field By Sex By Cause of Death Added Recently. Downs died on Wednesday of natural causes at this home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his great-niece told The Associated Press. Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died at … Legendary 'Today' show broadcaster dies at the age of 99. Hugh Downs is seen on the set of "20/20" on Nov. 20, 1981. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. He will be deeply missed. Mr. Downs died July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. "It was expedient. He is best known for his time hosting NBC’s Today Show from 1962-1971. If I lost my credibility, what use would I be to a client?". He served as the announcer for one of the earliest incarnations of NBC’s "Tonight Show," starring Jack Paar, in the late 1950s and early ’60s. Downs’ wife of 75 years, Ruth Shaheen, died in 2017. A … Hugh Downs, an omnipresence of 20th-century American television who once held the record for most hours logged on-air, died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. With tenures on NBC’s Today … SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5) – Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Hugh Downs has died at the age of 99, according to a statement from his family. Hugh Downs Wife. That same year, according to Walters, Downs had his first great-grandchild. Downs died of natural causes at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday, his great-niece, Molly Shaheen, told the Associated Press. In 1940 he moved on to WWJ in Detroit. Hugh Downs, the versatile and Emmy-winning broadcaster whose decades-long TV career ranged from anchoring ABC News' "20/20" to the "Today" show to … He also did a great deal of reporting, particularly in the early years, on medical breakthroughs and did adventure news segments. He was 99. From morning to night, Downs became one of TV’s most familiar faces, at one point holding the record for most hours – 10,000 – in front of a television camera (a record later broken by Regis Philbin). Hugh Downs, whose smooth delivery and warm demeanor led to a seven-decade career in television news and talk, died Wednesday at the age of 99. While there, Hugh sadly suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 72. “Gosh, I’d like to lie on a beach for six weeks,” he told USA TODAY on his retirement. Downs passed away after 2 years … Hugh Downs died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on July 1, 2020, at age 99. And he hosted PBS’ "Live From Lincoln Center" broadcasts for much of the ’90s. He was educated at Lima Shawnee High School in Lima, Ohio; Bluffton College, a Mennonite school in Bluffton, Ohio; and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, during the period 1938–41.He worked as a radio announcer and program director at WLOK in Lima, Ohio, after his first year of college. On July 1, 2020 at the age of 99, Downs died from heart failure at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. By that point, his reputation had grown to where he would approve any commercials he was assigned to read in an effort to avoid misinforming the public. News has learned the cause of the Playboy mogul's death. © Bang Showbiz Hugh Downs. He got his start on radio in Detroit and Chicago – “I thought TV wasn’t anything that was going to stay,” he told USA TODAY; “I viewed it as a gimmick, like 3D” – before jumping to the vibrant new medium in 1949, as announcer on the classic kids’ puppet show "Kukla Fran and Ollie.". He is perhaps best known for his roles as co-host of the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and anchor of the ABC News magazine 20/20 from … He launched one of the ’60s most popular daytime shows, the memory-matching game "Concentration," serving as host for more than 10 years even as he continued his "Today" duties. Hugh Downs, the genial, versatile broadcaster who became one of television’s most familiar and welcome faces with more than 15,000 hours on news, game and talk shows, has died at age 99. Here are some interesting things about Ruth, whom Downs was married to for 73 years. Downs became a friendly and familiar face during his thousands of hours on television between the 1950s and 1990s, during which he worked on NBC's "Today" and "Tonight" shows, the game show "Concentration," "20/20," PBS' "Over Easy" and "Live from Lincoln Center," as well as on dozens of commercials. Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters are seen here in 1983. Downs was a giant on the small screen with his low-key approach that … Hugh Downs, the legendary TV broadcaster whose career has spanned more than six decades, died on Wednesday. He was 99. By Bill Trott (Reuters) - Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died … Hugh Downs is seen in a space shuttle cockpit on April, 20, 1981. Downs died of natural causes at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday, said his great-niece, Molly Shaheen. He is survived by a daughter, Deirdre, and a son Hugh Raymond, known as H.R., two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She died … Downs, an Ohio native, joined NBC in Chicago after he served in the Army and soon became a fixture in American households. Hugh Downs, the genial, versatile broadcaster who became one of television's most familiar and welcome faces with more than 15,000 hours on news, game and talk shows, has died … Hugh Downs, who anchored the TODAY show and ABC's "20/20," has died at the age of 99. Downs began hosting "20/20" in 1978, and was joined six years later by Walters. He was a host on ABC's "20/20" for 20 years. Shaheen died on March 28, 2017, aged 95. Surrounded by loved ones, he died … Hugh Downs, whose smooth delivery and warm demeanor led to a seven-decade career in television news and talk, died Wednesday at the age of 99. Hugh Malcolm Downs (born February 14, 1921) is a long-time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer. Hugh Downs, who began appearing on television at the dawn of the medium and gained fame as co-host of 20/20, host of Today and as Jack Paar’s sidekick on the Tonight Show, has died… The former “20/20” and ABC News personality and longtime TV presence died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. He was 99. Hugh Downs spent seven decades in front of the camera and was one of America's most recognizable journalists. He is survived by their two children, Hugh Raymond and Deirdre Downs, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, according to The New York Times. Downs had also written books and worked in radio. In 1982, Hugh went to visit his son, Eric in Munich, Germany, who became a Psychology Professor. Hugh Downs died from heart failure on July 1, 2020, at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Downs died on Wednesday in his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, according to a statement from his family. He moved into TV shortly afterward and in 1954 joined NBC, where he eventually met Walters, who was working as a writer at the "Today Show" show at the time. … Our hearts are with Hugh’s family and friends tonight. His first job was as an announcer for a small radio station in Ohio. Scandal-plagued former Missouri Gov. Legendary broadcaster Hugh Downs, who died on July 2, … Hugh Downs dies at 99 The former “20/20” and ABC News personality and longtime TV presence died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday. According to his death certificate, the 91-year-old passed away after going into cardiac arrest and suffering from respiratory failure. He co-anchored NBC’s "Today" show from 1962 to 1971, but is probably most remembered for his 21 years as co-host of ABC evening newsmagazine "20/20" (both alongside Barbara Walters), and his signature sign-off: “We’re in touch, so you be in touch.”, And he stayed in touch, even after his official retirement from "20/20" in 1999, doing voice-over duties for a number of documentary films and specials through the 2000s. Downs served in the United States Army during World War II i… "I can't see any greatness that I would be remembered for, but if people think kindly of me, I'll be happy at that.". He said he discovered that "we are not a country of despair… Some people wrote in rage, some in grief. ABC Photo Archives He also referenced former ABC News chief Roone Arledge's assessment that Downs' “warmth, intelligence and his common sense have endeared him to generations of viewers.”, In his own words, Goldston said Downs "will be remembered fondly for his brilliant reporting, kind heart and curious mind. Hugh Downs is known for his legendary time as a broadcaster, but his family was a massive part of his life. Please join me in taking a moment to remember Hugh Downs, an exceptional broadcaster, and his many contributions to ABC News. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "For more than two decades, Hugh told the stories that he wanted to tell," Walters said in 2002. The book featured descriptions from 150 people about what living in the U.S. meant to them after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “The Guinness Book of World Records” recognized Downs … Who Have You Outlived? On October 13, 2007, Downs was of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hugh Downs has died at the age of 99. Hugh Downs, perhaps best remembered for his two-decade run on ABC's 20/20, has passed away at the age of 99. “Downs was actually an early pioneer in the infotainment industry that seamlessly seems to blend news and entertainment,” said Mark Jurkowitz of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, “a reassuring, relaxed and silky smooth television talent.”. "I hope I'd be remembered as a guy who tried to do some good and who was, most importantly, honest," he said in 2002 during an interview with his former "20/20" co-host Barbara Walters. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? He was 99. McLellan is … “But I knew by the end of the first hour I’d be thinking of something else to do, and I’d start doing it.”, In a note to staff Thursday, ABC News President James Goldston saluted Downs as a professional and as a person, quoting the broadcaster's esteemed colleagues, including "20/20" co-host Barbara Walters, who called him "a gentleman in every way." On Friday, June 21, 1985, "20/20" correspondent Geraldo Rivera assembled his crew including Hugh Downs as navigator, and made his maiden voyage sailing his 44 ft. sailboat, "The New Wave" in the famed "Marion Bermuda Yacht Race.". Eric Greitens announces Senate bid. ", Born in Akron, Ohio, Downs' history dates from the medium’s formative years. (Reuters) - Hugh Downs, whose congeniality and authoritative manner allowed him to move between the world of game shows and U.S. network news, has died at … Hugh Downs, the legendary TV broadcaster whose career has spanned more than six decades, died on Wednesday. “The Guinness Book of World Records” recognized Downs as having logged more hours in front of the camera than any television personality until Regis Philbin passed him in 2004. NEW YORK (AP) — Hugh Downs, the genial, versatile broadcaster who became one of television’s most familiar and welcome faces with more than 15,000 hours on news, game and talk shows, has died at age 99. Hugh Downs married his wife Ruth Shaheen on February 17, 1944. MORE: Hugh Downs, genial presence on TV news and game shows, dies, MORE: Hugh Downs Visits With Barbara Walters, MORE: US marks 18th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks, MORE: Faces of some of the more than 120,000 lives lost in US to coronavirus, MORE: Barbara Walters' memorable interviews. A great-niece, Molly Shaheen, confirmed his death and said the cause was a heart ailment. He died on July 1, 2020 at his Scottsdale, AZ home at the age of 99, seven months shy of his 100th birthday; the cause of death was a heart ailment. A statement from the family said, “And yet, amid all of Hugh’s exceptional life achievements, was his love for his family. Broadcasting icon Hugh Downs died on Wednesday at his Scottsdale, Arizona, home at the age of 99, his family confirmed to NBC News on Thursday. Hugh Downs and Ruth Shaheen, who were married when Hugh was 23, spent nearly 75 years together as a vision of love, partnership, and creativity.” Ruth Shaheen Death. For years, Downs held the Guinness record for most total hours on commercial network television, until Regin Philbin broke his record in 2004, according to the Associated Press. Died: July 1, 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA (heart failure) Birth Name: Hugh Malcolm Downs: Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m) Name of the Day Random Name. But the common thing was nobody was despairing. A great-niece, Molly Shaheen, confirmed his death and said the cause was a heart ailment. Downs left the world with his good deeds that he contributed in the field of the entertainment field. Downs was predeceased by his wife Ruth Shaheen, who died in 2017. ... Hugh Downs. Hugh Downs, the omnipresent broadcaster whose career spanned more than half a century, including 20 years on ABC's "20/20," has died at age 99. Downs died of natural causes … He was interred at the Christ Church of the Ascension Memory Garden in Paradise Valley, Arizona. 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