Guide Note

NBC Senior Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert died on June 13, 2008. Russert was the managing editor and host of Meet the Press and served as a political analyst for several NBC programs including NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. He apparently suffered from a sudden heart attack.¹

Fast Facts

1. Died: June 13, 2008
2. Age at death: 58 years old
3. Cause of death: heart attack²
4. Fell ill at NBC News Washington Bureau
5. Emergency medical services found him at 1:41 p.m. EST
6. Was recording voice-overs for Meet the Press to be aired on Sunday, June 15, 2008 when he became ill
7. Recently returned from Italy after celebrating his son's graduation from Boston College
8. Spouse: Maureen Orth
9. Son: Luke Russert
10. Friend and colleague Tom Brokaw said "he worked to the point of exhaustion"

A private funeral for Russert was set for Wednesday, June 18, 2008, followed by an invitation-only memorial service at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. EST.³

A public wake for Russert was held on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.. President Bush was among the hundreds who turned out to pay their respects.³

"It is my sad duty to report this afternoon that my friend and colleague Tim Russert … collapsed and died while at work in at the NBC news bureau in Washington, D.C. ... This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice." Tom Brokaw, NBC⁴

"He was an institution in both news and politics for more than two decades. Tim was a tough and hardworking newsman. He was always well-informed and thorough in his interviews. And he was as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it."—President George Bush⁵

Russert's death has been attributed to a heart attack. His doctors say Russert was being treated for coronary artery disease, though he was not symptomatic and had no chest pain. Russert's cardiologist, Dr. George Bren, said an autopsy found "significant blockages" in several of Russert's coronary arteries.²

In July of 2008, President George W. Bush signed a bill to rename a section of Highway 20A in Orchard Park, New York Timothy J. Russert Highway. Area residents have also created a petition to rename the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport after Russert.⁶