Father of late Tim Russert dead
Tim “Big Russ” Russert, the father of the late Tim Russert of “Meet the Press,” died last Thursday night. According to a statement from the family, Russert died peacefully from natural causes with relatives by his side. He was 85.
“While he was affectionately known to the world as ‘Big Russ,’ he carried no more important nor meaningful titles than those of father, grandfather, great-grandfather, patriot and friend,” the statement said.
Russert grew up in south Buffalo and worked two full-time jobs, driving a city sanitation truck and a Buffalo News delivery truck, to support his family.
In 2004, the younger Russert wrote about his relationship with his father in the best-selling book “Big Russ and Me.” The book was a series of lessons the journalist said he learned from his father, a World War II veteran with blue-collar values and eternal optimism. Reaction from the book’s readers inspired the follow-up, “Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons” in 2006.
The younger Russert, who was also NBC News’ Washington bureau chief, passed away suddenly in June 2008, after collapsing at the bureau. His son, Luke Russert, joined the network as a correspondent in July 2008.
[photo: Hyperion]
Tags: Big Russ, Meet the Press, natural causes, NBC, Tim Russert