Kathie Lee Gifford returned to the “Today” show on Monday for the first time since her husband Frank Gifford’s death.
Kathie opened the show with an emotional tribute by saying, “The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.” She went on to thank friends and family for their support, and share memories of her late husband.
“My children have been extraordinary, they have been a blessing to me,” she said. “You’ve been a blessing to me, Hoda, my entire family here. All of you out there watching, we have felt your prayers. We’re so grateful.”
During the segment, the TV personality explained that because her husband grew up poor during the Great Depression, he wasn’t one to take things for granted.
“He was so grateful,” she said. “He knew what hard work was. He never had an entitled moment in his life. And we will miss him so much. We keep expecting him to come around the corner. I keep expecting him to go, ‘What time is church?’”
The emotional tribute ended with a hug and a kiss from Gifford’s co-host Hoda Kotb as a box of tissues was dropped onto the set.
Frank, an NFL Hall-of-Famer and former “Monday Night Football” sportscaster, died on Aug. 9 of natural causes in his Connecticut home. The couple married in 1986, and had two children together, in addition to Frank’s three children from a previous marriage.
Watch the video below.
