Katherine “Katy” Textor, a longtime “60 Minutes” producer who worked closely with Morley Safer during his final years, died Friday following a battle with cancer. She was 45.
“Katy Textor was a scrupulous journalist and a wonderful storyteller. Her energy and personality will be impossible to replace at ’60 Minutes,” “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens said in a statement.
“Katy fought a courageous battle over the last two and a half years, but her tenacity didn’t surprise those of us who knew her at ’60 Minutes,’” said “60 Minutes” execuitve producer Tanya Simon. “We saw it in her work and in her friendships — she was whip-smart with a megawatt smile and a fierce sense of loyalty, warmth and compassion.
Born May 17, 1974, in Seattle, Texter attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1996 from the Annenberg School of Communication. Early in her career, she worked for ABC News as a White House producer and political reporter on the Bush-Gore 2000 presidential race, as well as for the network’s documentary unit.
She joined CBS News in 2003 and began working with Safer on “60 Minutes” the next year. During their 12-year collaboration, they produced several notable stories, including the first interview with Ruth Madoff, and an investigation into murder charges against a doctor accused of murdering patients in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
According to CBS, Textor continued to work throughout her illness, most notably on a story about the Syrian refugee crisis, and producing the first televised interview with the Theranos fraud whistleblower.
She is survived by her husband, Colin Farmer, and their children, as well as her parents and brothers.