Bob Read, a Long Island native and managing editor and senior investigative producer for Inside Edition, died Saturday of Covid-19. He was 60.
Inside Edition announced Read’s death and aired a tribute to him, calling him “a cherished member of the Inside Edition family” and “a mentor to so many of our staff.”
“If there’s a story on Inside Edition that made headlines,” the program said, “it has Bob Read’s fingerprints all over it … His passion, tireless energy, and grace under pressure inspired all of us to do our best work.”
Read hailed from West Islip. He began his career at ABC News 20/20 and also worked at Dateline NBC. He reported and produced a variety of news, features, and investigative stories on those programs before arriving at Inside Edition.
The veteran journalist, who led all investigative projects on the show, worked at Inside Edition for 30 years until he was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Dec. 18. He had mostly been covering the pandemic since early last year.
Read is survived by his wife of 36 years, Michele, son Tyler, and daughter Casey. To honor his legacy, the family has set up the Robert B. Read Memorial Fund through United Way, which provides financial relief to families who are struggling due to the pandemic.
“Each day Robert chose happiness and generously shared his joy with others,” the donation page reads. “His ideal day was on the boat with family and friends dancing to reggae … a cool drink in hand, feeling the sun on his face with a smile in his heart. Robert worked hard, played hard and loved so deeply. Robert’s legacy lives on in his wife, children, family and friends.”
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