Morley Safer of "60 Minutes" Dead at Age 84 Following Retirement

R.I.P. Morley Safer of “60 Minutes” Dead at Age 84 Following Retirement

Source: Tony Cordoza / Getty

Morley Safer, the longest-running 60 Minutes correspondent, passed away on Thursday at age 84. Born in Toronto, his stellar journalism career spanned nearly seven decades, and CBS announced Safer’s retirement last week after 46 years on the network’s flagship program. Throughout his tenure, Safer covered over 900 stories at CBS in a variety of settings. He was renowned for heading up landmark, hard-hitting investigations as well as charismatic celebrity profiles. Though he maintained a dignified presence, Safer never hesitated to get dirty. He gamely waded through jungles, and one soldier who accompanied Safer described him as “cool as a hog” while bullets flew through the air. Safer’s bittersweet ending as a broadcast journalist arrived with this sendoff from the legend himself:

“After more than 50 years of broadcasting on CBS News and 60 Minutes, I have decided to retire. It’s been a wonderful run, but the time has come to say goodbye to all of my friends at CBS and the dozens of people who kept me on the air. But most of all I thank the millions of people who have been loyal to our broadcast.”