Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb are paying tribute to Larry Edgeworth. During Monday's episode of the Today show, the hosts remembered their late NBC colleague, who died last week as a result of coronavirus.
The touching tribute began with a video, which featured pics and clips of the audio technician working throughout his 25 years at the network and was narrated by Guthrie.
"When Larry Edgeworth said he had your back, you knew you were covered. It wasn't just knowing that he'd deliver on the sound, it was that, in any situation, he was on-guard to make sure you were OK, mentally, physically," she said. "He was a protector. He was a bear of a man, and a teddy bear at the same time."
"Larry complained if you snapped his picture, hardly cracking a smile, but that was a front. His real smile was infectious and his voice echoed across the newsroom," she continued. "You always knew when Larry was in the house with a hello and a hug. He'd ask about your family and proudly share tales of his own sons, Alex and Miles, and his wife, Crystal."
When it came to work, Guthrie said, "Larry lugged his gear across the planet and up the highest peaks, recording the sounds of war, natural disasters, presidential campaigns, Olympic games, connecting with those he met along the way."
Following the video, a teary-eyed Guthrie further remembered her late colleague as "a very, very loved person," before opening up about her own experience with Edgeworth.
"We were on the campaign together back in 2008 and we traveled for two solid months together; every morning, every night, we were all together," she recalled. "And he was unfailingly kind and professional and loving. He just had this way of feeling like he had your back, and you were safe in his hands in every way."
"My heart goes out to his family and all our colleagues," she added. "We really, really loved Larry and he loved us. And I think that's why it hurts, why it's so hard."
Kotb also commented, remembering Edgeworth as someone who deeply cared about others.
"I remember thinking, 'Wow. What a guy,'" Kotb said. "In a world where people are constantly talking about how they're doing and how they're feeling, he was always asking how everyone was feeling and doing. He made you feel safe."
On Friday's episode of NBC Nightly News, Lester Holt paid tribute to Edgeworth, noting that he and his colleagues are "heartbroken" over the late audio engineer's death.
"We, like families who've suffered everywhere, are grieving. Larry was an audio engineer, he worked in the field covering stories all over the world," Holt said. "Larry and I logged some interesting times together in some interesting places. If Larry was your sound guy, you knew you were going to be fine -- both technically, and in every other way."
"A gentle giant, as one of our colleagues so aptly described him, who you knew had your back," he continued. "Larry was a kind and generous man who always made us smile."
Watch the video below for more on coronavirus.
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