Getty Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin died at the age of 88, just one month before his 89th birthday. He leaves behind three children (his son Daniel died in 2014) and grandchildren.
In a statement to People, his family said:
We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday. His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss
TMZ later reported that Philbin’s specific cause of death was heart disease.
Because two of Regis Philbin’s children have stayed out of the spotlight, it’s not clear exactly how many grandchildren he has. But a variety of reports indicate he has at least four grandchildren. The unauthorized biography Regis! reported that his daughter Amy had a son named Mack. His daughter J.J. has two children, according to her IMDb bio, and his daughter Joanna has one child, according to her WGA bio.
He Had Two Children with His First Wife
Regis had two children with his first wife Kay — daughter Amy Philbin and son Daniel Philbin — and he has at least one grandchild from them.
Daniel died at the age of 49 in 2014. He was honored by the Department of Defense for his contributions after September 11, 2001. Regis once said that his son Daniel was a hero to him. Regis said: “For him to overcome all this disability, to graduate from college, work on his master’s program — he’s just dynamite, a remarkable kid.”
Amy has stayed out of the spotlight, but Closer Weekly reported that she pursued a singing career at one point in her life. The unauthorized biography of Regis Philbin called Regis! reported that in the early 1990s, Amy was living in Studio City, California, with her son, Mack, and her musician husband Dan Ferguson.
He Had Two Daughters with His Second Wife
Philbin had two daughters with his wife Joy Philbin and he had grandchildren from both of his daughters.
His daughter J.J. Philbin is married to Michael Schur and they have two children: Ivy Elizabeth (born in 2010) and William (born in 2008). In 2008, Regis brought his grandson William Xavier Schur — then 5 months old — onto the set of Live with Regis and Kelly, People reported.
J.J. and Michael both have successful careers in the TV industry. J.J. wrote for Mad TV after graduating from the University of Notre Dame and then joined the script department of SNL. She also wrote for the ABC series That Was Then and is known for her work with New Girl and The O.C. She was the co-creator and executive producer for Single Parents. When it launched, she wanted her dad to appear on the show, ET Online reported. He appeared as a guest for one episode as part of a birth storyline.
Regis Philbin’s daughter Joanna is an accomplished author and is known for several book series, including The Daughters and Celebriteens. She also wrote Rules of Summer and Since Last Summer. According to her Amazon bio, she lives with her pug, Edie, in Los Angeles. She was a 2018 Feature Writer Access Project honoree with the WGA.
According to her bio with the WGA, Joanna Philbin has one daughter who lives with her in Los Angeles.
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