Alissa Krinsky
TVNewser Contributor
Sunday will mark one year since the death of Tony Snow from cancer. He battled the disease, which originated in his colon before spreading, for more than three years.
Snow, a longtime commentator and journalist, anchored at Fox News Channel and later worked for a short time at CNN. In between his TV jobs, he served as White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush.
This Sunday, TVNewser has learned, Fox News Channel will mark the anniversary of Snow’s death with numerous mentions of him throughout the day, along with thoughts from Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and from FNC colleagues such as Bill O’Reilly and Greta Van Susteren.
Here now are reflections from several other tvnewsers as they remember Tony Snow:
• PBS’s Judy Woodruff: “My most lasting memory of Tony Snow was while he was in the White House. It was the spring of 2006, very busy for the Bush administration, a time when he had already dealt with some health challenges. I called to ask if there were any way he could participate in the annual roast that fall, to benefit the Spina Bifida Association. Tony knew our son had been born with spina bifida, and despite his full schedule, he didn’t hesitate — yes, he would join us to roast CBS’s Bob Schieffer. With everything else on his plate, he made time for this. What a big heart.”
• ABC’s Robin Roberts: “I have thought of Tony many times this past year. When I do I can’t help but smile. More than ever I appreciate how he lived with such passion while courageously battling cancer.
“When I was first diagnosed [with breast cancer] it seemed my every thought centered around cancer. I remember Tony comforting me by saying the time would soon come when I would go days without thinking about cancer. I didn’t believe him. I’d give anything for Tony to still be here so I could hug him and tell him he was absolutely right.”
• FNC’s Griff Jenkins: “You’ll only meet a man once in your life, if you’re lucky, who when stricken with terminal cancer pens a national column explaining the ‘unexpected blessings’ of the morbid reality. That was Tony Snow. Tony set the standard for all of us in Washington when it comes to Character, Faith and Family. Not a single day passes that I don’t dearly miss that infectious smile and indefatigable courage and optimism. I wish I could hear him talk of his love for his wife and kids in that cheerful voice he never lost.”
• FNC’s Brit Hume: “Tony Snow showed us how to do a lot of hard things: he became a fine Sunday anchor from a standing start after years in print; he became a highly effective advocate for a controversial president while keeping a civil tongue and a sense of humor; and he showed us in the way he lived his final years and in the way he died a remarkable example of courage, grace and faith. One year could not dim the memory of all he was, nor will many years to come.”
• CNN’s Ed Henry: “Former President George H.W. Bush told me in a live interview on CNN that sad morning when Tony Snow died: ‘He brought a certain civility to this very contentious job.’ Looking back now, there were some really contentious moments in the White House briefing room, largely because…the Iraq war was going badly. [During] one of the sharpest exchanges, when he got tired of a series of my queries [he] finally snapped: “Zip it!” But what people did not know is that [later] Tony privately apologized.
“That’s his enduring legacy to me: Life is too short…Get over it and be thankful for the time you do have in this life because in the case of Tony, he was taken from us way, way too early.”