Former Fox News Star Tucker Carlson's Father, Richard Carlson, Dead At 84
Controversial conservative host Tucker Carlson is mourning an immense loss this week. His father, Richard "Dick" Carlson, died on March 24, 2025, at his home in Florida at the age of 84. While Tucker is a big name in right-wing media these days, one lesser-known truth to some is that he comes from a famous family. Like Tucker, Richard was also a journalist who built a long and often contentious career.
Richard was a reporter at KABC in the 1970s. According to the obituary Tucker shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Richard went on to work for the Reagan Administration in the 1980s and became the CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the 1990s before heading up part of King World Television. Tucker began his tribute to his father, noting that his death came "after six weeks of illness. He refused all painkillers to the end and left this world with dignity and clarity, holding the hands of his children with his dogs at his feet." At the end of the obituary, Tucker called his father "the toughest human being anyone in his family ever knew, and also the kindest and most loyal."
Richard Carlson had a close relationship with his two sons
Tucker Carlson almost had a wildly different career before joining Fox News, but it's clear that his father paved the way for the life he has ultimately had. Richard is survived by Tucker, as well as Tucker's brother Buckley Carlson and five grandchildren. When Tucker and Buckley were just children, their mother left the family. Richard spent the next four years as a single father. During this time, Tucker noted that his father took his parenting role seriously and often brought his two sons along on work trips to see the world of journalism firsthand. Surely, this inspired Tucker to go on to follow in his dad's footsteps.
Tucker comes from a wealthy family, due in part to his stepmother. Richard married Patricia Swanson, heiress to the frozen food brand Swanson, in 1979. Swanson died just over a year before Richard's passing. Tucker noted in his obituary for his father that Richard "mourned her every day."
It's clear that Tucker was close to his father to the very end. As such, this is surely a difficult time for him, but to fans of the family, his career helps his father's legacy live on.