Colby Rubin, son of the late KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin, said a goodbye to his father on live television.
The beloved journalist tragically died at 64 on Friday from a heart attack. The news of Sam’s sudden death rocked his colleagues at the Los Angeles station, viewers at home, and, of course, his family. And as everyone mourns this devastating loss, his 16-year-old son joined the KTLA 5 Morning News to pay tribute to Sam on Monday. Overcome with emotion throughout the broadcast, Colby read a letter to his dad on air, saying:
“Hi, Dad. I wrote this under the desk in the cubicle you used to catch me sleeping, only you weren’t there to wake me up this time. Dad, I can’t believe you are gone. You’ll never pick me up from school again. We’ll never get to go biking. We’ll never argue about food. You won’t be at my wedding. I can’t believe you are gone. I love you so much. On the day you died, I hope you heard me say that. You were the kindest soul. You were the light in every room. I can’t imagine my life without you. You were part of my everything.”
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Colby went on to recall how his father was always there for him, whether it be to take him to Boy Scout meetings, accompany him to physical therapy sessions, go on trips to Disney, or even be his kayak partner. Choking up, he said:
“You were an incredible father and friend. On our car rides, you taught me so much about life, about your work, and about how you got to get up every day and do what you loved. I idolized you. You are and always will be my hero. I never got to tell you that, and I’m so sorry, Dad.”
Heartbreaking. The teen then shared a text message he had with Sam after receiving negative comments about his performance in a school play. And it’s the perfect example of how much love and support Colby got from his dad no matter what. Sam wrote in one text:
“Ignore the noise. You will get bad reviews for every show. … You have excellent genes. You have every gift. Respect your own talent.”
Colby continued sharing how “proud” he is to be Sam’s son:
“I am completely who I am because of you. You were always smiling and laughing, and you were everything good in the world. … I can’t believe I lost you. You took care of me and so many people. You helped others around you, and you were always charitable. You instilled within me a moral compass and values that I hold myself to throughout my life. Dad, I am so proud to be your son. I had more of a father in sixteen years than some people get for their entire lives, and I’m so grateful. You are a beautiful human. And you’ll never be forgotten.”
After reading the letter, Colby ate a cupcake — the way his dad would do. Watch the touching tribute (below):
A beautiful tribute. You can tell Colby loved his dad so, so much. Our hearts go out to him and his loved ones as they continue to grieve this loss.
[Image via KTLA 5/YouTube]
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