Morley Safer’s Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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Morley Safer leaves behind a wife, daughter, three grandchildren, and two siblings who will miss him very much. (Getty)

Morley Safer, the iconic journalist who was with 60 Minutes from the beginning and was revered for his in-depth reporting and analysis, passed away at 84. He leaves behind a family who will miss him dearly, including a wife, daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, and siblings.

Here’s what you need to know.


1. Morley Safer and His Wife Jane Fearer Were Married for 48 Years and Still Very Much in Love

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 11: Television personality Morley Safer and Jane Fearer attend a screening of HBO Films "Longford" at MoMA's Celeste Bartos Theater on February 11, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)

Morley Safer and his wife Jane Fearer had been married for 48 years. (Getty)

Morley Safer and his wife Jane Fearer have had a long and happy marriage. They were married in 1968 after meeting in England a few months earlier. At the time, Morley was 36 and his friends had thought he might not ever marry, People reported. He and Jane met when Morley attended a party in England with Walter Cronkite and his wife. He later proposed to her while he was in Nigeria covering the civil war.

Fearer, 10 years younger than Morley, is an anthropologist and museum consultant who held senior positions at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York Hall of Science. Her dad was a colonel in World War II.


2. Their Daughter, Sarah Safer Bakal, Had a Brief Journalism Career

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Morley Safer and Jane Fearer had one daughter, Sarah Safer Bakal. (Getty)

Morley’s daughter Sarah Safer Bakal has kept out of the spotlight, without even having much presence on social media. Sarah graduated from Brown University and Columbia University and had a brief career in journalism, Morley told C-SPAN in 2012.

In 1979, Morley said that his extensive traveling was a burden on his family. He told C-SPAN that he didn’t think he was a very good father.


3. Morley Safer Has Three Grandchildren

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60 Minutes correspondent/co-host Morley Safer shows off his 5 Peabody Awards during the 64th Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon in 2005. (Getty)

Sarah Safer, 46, married Alex Bakal in Italy in 2000, in the same city where they were also engaged. Alex is five years older than Sarah, according to their wedding announcement. He owns Orion Partners in New York and graduated from Harvard University. Alex’s parents emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1979.

Sarah and Alex have three children: twin girls and a son.


4. His Dad, Max Safer, Was an Upholsterer

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Morley Safer came from a humble background. (Getty)

Morley Safer came from a very humble background. He was born in Toronto, Ontario to Anna Cohn Safer and Max Safer. His father, Max, was an upholsterer.


5. Morley Safer Also Leaves Behind a Brother and a Sister

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Morley Safer has a brother and sister who live in Toronto. (Getty)

Morley Safer also leaves behind a brother and sister, CBS News reported. Both live in Toronto.