Fox News Anchors That Tragically Died

Fox News anchors are used to reporting devastating news, but sometimes, as fate would have it, tragedy befalls them. Over the years, a handful of network mainstays have sadly passed away at an untimely age. Early in October 2024, "Good Day Tampa Bay" anchor Tom Curran died after a longtime Parkinson's disease diagnosis, Fox 13 reported. He was 70 years old at the time. According to his obituary, he is survived by his wife, Lucita Curran, and his daughter, Jyllian Curran, as well as his parents and siblings.

As reported by The Ledger, Tom publicly revealed his disease in 2008. Of how he felt afterward, he stated, "It was like a load off my shoulders." He added, "I try to tell people, 'You've been dealt the hand you've been dealt, but it doesn't mean you can't play a winning hand." The longtime news reporter wasn't the only Fox News anchor who tragically died. From battles with diseases to a sudden stroke, these television personalities had many mourning them after their devastating passings.

At just 33 years old, Matt Napolitano of "Fox News Audio" became one of the youngest anchors on the network to have tragically died. On December 24, 2023, his husband, Ricky Whitcomb, announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, "With a heavy heart I have to share that my husband @MattNapolitano passed away yesterday morning. He loved his job and he loved bringing the news to your radios and televisions. An honest journalist who truly cared about facts. You can thank him for the last minute Jets win today."

Following the news of Napolitano's death, Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted, "I'm stunned and so very sad to learn of the death of our @foxnewsradio colleague, @MattNapolitano. He was a great guy & appeared on the show numerous times, typically talking sports. 33 years old. My gosh. My prayers go to his family. Gutwrenching. I can't believe it. RIP." Sadly, amid much speculation that Napolitano's death was attributed to the COVID-19 vaccine, Whitcomb had to step in with another tweet, which read, "Hi, Matt's husband here, he had an auto immune disease that he was diagnosed with almost 20 years ago and died as the result of an infection. Do not use my husbands death to spread disinformation and blatant mistruths." A sympathetic fan replied, "So sorry you had to go through this in addition to losing your husband. RIP Matt."

On July 18, 2024, Lou Dobbs' death was announced on his X page. "Lou was a fighter till the very end — fighting for what mattered to him the most, God, his family, and the country. Lou's legacy will forever live on as a patriot and a great American. We ask for your prayers for Lou's wonderful wife Debi, children, and grandchildren," the post read. 

At the time, the cause of death for the former "Lou Dobbs Tonight" host, who was 78, wasn't revealed, but gossip columnist Cindy Adams alluded to him having an illness. "Lou Dobbs was my friend. We had dinner not long ago. He'd quietly been in hospice recently. Radiation. Then came a clean bill of health. Then it returned," she wrote in the New York Post. According to Adams, Dobbs' wife Debi stated, "He was very private. But we couldn't keep up. We ran out of time." She added, "He left us peacefully. Home with his family — daughter, daughter-in-law, three grandchildren. We were married in 1982. Both worked at CNN. We went out every night. Lou was the love of my life."

Dobbs had quite a few controversial moments in his career, including the time he questioned whether Barack Obama was American-born and accused the 2020 presidential election of being manipulated by voting machines, per The New York Times. The voting technology company Smartmatic filed a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against Fox for defamation in 2021, which included Dobbs in the complaint. Dobbs was subsequently dropped by Fox amid the suit.

John Roland, one of the most recognized names at Fox News, died in May 2023 at the age of 81, per The New York Times. According to his wife, Zayda Galasso, his cause of death was complications from a stroke. "John was very likable, not a formidable presence like Bill Jorgensen. He was more a Jimmy Stewart type. An American Everyman that somehow finds himself thrust into the limelight and makes a surprisingly strong impression," former news director Ted Kavanagh stated.

Roland started his career at Fox 5 (then WNEW) in 1969 and announced his retirement in 2004 on air, per TVark. "I want to thank you for inviting me into your home for all these years. It's an invitation I never took for granted and always considered an honor," he told the audience. As his co-host Linda Schmidt patted his hand, she got choked up while leading them into a commercial. 

The venerable news anchor was loved by many, and after his death, one of his other former co-anchors, Rosanna Scotto, stated in a tribute on Fox 5, "John spent his last years living with his wife Zayda in Florida, enjoying being a husband and grandfather. While he was retired from anchoring the nightly TV news, his love for New York and current events was unabated. He cared."

Uma Pemmaraju, an original Fox News Channel anchor, died at 64 years old in August 2022 from an undisclosed cause, Fox News reported. Her daughter Kirina stated, "The sudden death of my mother, Uma Pemmaraju, has been deeply devastating and incredibly shocking and unexpected. She was a light who brought so much compassion and inspiration to those around her." She added, "Journalism truly defined who my mother was. We thank you for your continued kindness, support, and privacy during this unimaginable time."

Pemmaraju left behind a long legacy at Fox. By the time she became one of the first anchors on the Fox News Channel when it debuted in 1996, she had already received three local Emmy Awards for her work in journalism. After a brief hiatus when she gave birth to her daughter in 1999, Pemmaraju went back to the network in 2003. On X, political commentator Megyn Kelly said of her untimely death, "So, so sorry to read this. Uma was a pro and always had a kind word for others — she was taken too soon. Sending love and prayers to her family."

In October 2014, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Fox's "Cashin' In" host Terry Keenan had died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 53. She left behind her husband, Ron Kass, and their son, Benjamin Kass. Keenan was a former correspondent at CNN, where she was mentored by another big name in the media, Lou Dobbs. As reported by The New York Times, he was the one who convinced her to go from producing behind the scenes to reporting on-camera. She left CNN to join Fox News in 2002 as a business and finance expert on "Cashin' In" until jumping to the New York Post seven years later. The Johns Hopkins graduate was known for not holding back on those she considered bad businessmen, and her editor Michael Gray stated after her death, "Business leaders she saw as major screw-ups would be outed on these pages in a loud voice and be awarded her annual booby prize. That voice, alas, has been silenced."

In a lengthy tribute, Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto shared of Keenan, "Some of you might remember Terry. For regular Fox News fans, how could you not? She was the stunningly beautiful and just as stunningly smart host, who put a weekend show called 'Cashin' In' on the map and helped forever change the notion business news could never draw an audience on weekends." He concluded his loving eulogy by saying, "Many of you have no doubt read about the passing of a financial anchor who talked about prices. Trust me when I say the world has lost something far more priceless."