Tucker Carlson Pauses Show Following Heartbreaking Loss of His Father, Richard W. Carlson
Television personality and political commentator Tucker Carlson has announced a temporary break from his show following the passing of his father, Richard Warner Carlson, who died at the age of 84 on March 24 at his home in Boca Grande, Florida.
The former Fox News host shared a moving tribute on social media, honoring the extraordinary life of a man who defied the odds from the very beginning.
Richard Carlson’s life story reads like a modern American epic — one shaped by hardship, perseverance, and purpose.
Born on February 10, 1941, to a 15-year-old Swedish-speaking girl in Massachusetts, he spent his early years in foster care and faced severe malnutrition, which left him with permanently bowed legs.
After a troubled youth that included stints in juvenile detention and being expelled from high school, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 17, seeking direction and discipline.
His career was as unconventional as his upbringing. In the 1960s, Carlson became a reporter, starting as a copy boy at the Los Angeles Times before rising through the ranks to become a respected investigative journalist and news anchor with ABC News.
His assignments took him to the frontlines of the Watts riots and into the circles of historical figures, from Jim Jones to Jerry Garcia. Despite being seriously injured on assignment, he never backed away from danger in pursuit of the truth.
A devoted father, Richard raised his two sons alone after their mother left the family in the mid-1970s.
He educated them through long family dinners filled with lively discussions on history, literature, and philosophy — lessons that clearly shaped Tucker’s worldview. In 1979, he found lasting love with Patricia Swanson. Their 44-year marriage ended with her passing in late 2023, a loss he mourned deeply.
Richard’s professional journey continued in public service, serving as Director of the Voice of America under President Reagan, U.S. Ambassador to the Seychelles, and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Even in later years, his work — often shrouded in mystery — took him to far-flung regions of the world and into the company of global leaders.
Tucker Carlson described his father as both “the toughest and the kindest person” his family had ever known — a man with a rebellious spirit, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering loyalty.
A lifelong reader and thinker, Richard left behind a massive personal library, annotated with his thoughts and insights.
He is survived by his sons, Tucker and Buckley Carlson, daughter-in-law Susie, and five grandchildren.
His legacy will live on not just in public records or professional accolades, but in the values he passed on to his family.
Carlson has not yet announced when he will return to the air but has asked for privacy as he and his family grieve this significant loss.
