Al Roker and his “Today” family are paying tribute to an NBC staffer who passed away after testing positive for Coronavirus. Audio technician Larry Edgeworth has died, this according to a staff memo sent by NBC Chairman Andy Lack on Friday, March 20. In the memo, Andy Lack informed the staff that Edgeworth had “suffered from other health issues that led him to succumb to the illness.” The beloved NBC staffer was 61 at the time of his death and the network’s stars like Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie are mourning the loss of “the gentle giant” in heartbreaking tributes.
Al Roker addressed Larry Edgeworth’s death on social media on Friday morning. Posting a snap of the longtime employee doing what he loved, the “Today” host wrote, “Larry Edgeworth was a giant both physically and emotionally. You were always in good hands when he was on your crew.” Saying that Edgeworth would always ask about Al Roker’s son, Nick, the television personality added, “losing him to underlying health issues exacerbated by Covid-19 is devastating.” Sending his condolences to Larry Edgeworth’s wife and two sons, Al Roker ended his emotional post writing, “Our @nbcnews family has lost a consummate professional and a friend.”
His co-host Savannah Guthrie also dedicated a post to Larry Edgeworth after hearing of his passing and said her “heart breaks” over learning of his death. “I adored Larry,” she wrote on Instagram. “We traveled together for two straight months on a campaign in 2008 and he was always the most warm, most professional, most loving.” Revealing Larry Edgeworth was “always a joy” no matter what conditions they were working under, she added, “He loved his work and excelled at it. He loved his colleagues and boy did we love him. Larry, dear, I will miss you.”
Larry Edgeworth worked at NBC for 25 years and his devotion to the network was greatly appreciated as shown in the staff memo. “Many of you were fortunate enough to work with Larry over the years, so you know that he was the guy you wanted by your side no matter where you were,” Andy Lack said. “Stacy Brady says he was known as the ‘gentle giant who would give you the shirt off his back.’” A source told PEOPLE that staffers “all really upset” about the loss of Larry Edgeworth. “It’s completely heartbreaking, especially because we can’t all be together to grieve right now,” they said. “We’re all such a family and losing one of own is just unimaginable.” The Daily Beast was the first to report the news.
