Peter Jennings passed away yesterday at the age of 67. He announced back in April of this year that even though he had quit smoking over 20 years ago, the smoke had gotten the best of his lungs and was taking over.
I grew up watching Peter on "World News Tonight " on ABC. I not only enjoyed his demeanor, but his passion for delivering the news. Watching him broadcasting during presidential elections was exhilarating, and I was always eager to see his "person of the week" on Friday nights.
On one of the most memorable days of our time, 9/11 was a time when we saw emotions from Peter. He was on-air for quite some time after the planes crashed into the towers. You could see his despair, not only in his eyes, but in his physique. He was looking more rugged and worn, the look of a man who was deeply distressed by the events at hand, giving us all the answers he could.
"We do not very often make recommendations for people's behavior from this chair," he told viewers, "but as [one ABC News correspondent] was talking, I checked in with my children, and it -- who were deeply stressed, as I think young people are across the United States. So, if you're a parent, you've got a kid" -- he paused and smiled awkwardly -- "in some other part of the country, call them up. Exchange observations."
Peter simply gave us the news, but he did it in a manner that made you care about our broken world. He will be missed by not only his family, but by many around the world.