Jarriel’s family announced his death on Thursday, per ABC News.
According to Deadline, former ABC News anchor and correspondent Tom Jarriel has passed away at the age of 89. Jarriel joined the network in 1965, where he covered major historical events like the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and served as chief White House correspondent for the Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford administrations. The news anchor would go on to head the network’s weekend newscast and serve as a correspondent on 20/20, the network’s newsmagazine that was introduced in 1978.
Jarriel went on to win six Emmy awards for his reporting on 20/20. He shared that “the great, defining moment of [his] career” was a 20/20 report he did on Romanian orphanages.
Former 20/20 correspondent Geraldo Rivera honored the late newscaster on X, sharing “He was an excellent, award winning reporter and gracious colleague on 20/20, a true gentleman.”
Jarriel leaves behind his wife, Joan, and their three sons.