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Kathie Lee Gifford paid an emotional tribute to her late husband Frank during her returnto NBC's Today on Monday. During the fourth hour, the 62-year-old hostthanked everyone for the outpouring of love and support.
“The lord giveth and the lord taketh away and that’s something that my family and I have been through this past week when we lost Frank,” she said during her segment. The football Hall of Fame legend and Kathie Lee’s husband of 20 plus years passed away suddenly on August 9 at the age of 84.
Frank, Kathie Lee and their children Cassidy and Cody Photo: Getty Images
“I want tothank everybody for your love, and your texts and your tweets,” she continuedas her co-host and best friend Hoda Kotb comforted her. “Just the outpouringhas been extraordinary. It’s a heck of a way to find out how loved you are.”
The Today host reassured fans that her and her family have found “great strength andcomfort” in all of the support. During the segment, Kathie Lee spokeabout how important faith was to her husband and how he was at complete peacewhen he passed away. “We laughedup to the very end,” she added. “I just want everybody to know that this isa man who was at complete peace in his life. He might have been the happiest,most content person in the world at this point in his life.”
Kathie toldthe story about how Frank grew up during the Great Depression and worked hardfor everything that he achieved in his life. Kathie’s best friend Hoda alsooffered kind words on the behalf of the former NFL star.
Frank and Kathie married in 1986 and have two children together, Cassidy, 22, and Cody 25. Last week, Cassidy took to her Instagram to pay an emotional tribute to her father. “Very fewpeople are blessed enough to call their father a legend, and an even smallernumber are able to share that notion with the rest of the world,” the captionof Cassidy and her father read in part. “Today of all days I can genuinely sayI am humbled by all the outpour of love and support my family has received.”
Click below to watch Kathie Lee's emotional segment: