Longtime “Today” show weatherman Willard Scott died at the age of 87 on Saturday morning, his colleague Al Roker confirmed on Instagram.
“He was truly my second dad and am where I am today because of his generous spirit. Willard was a man of his times, the ultimate broadcaster. There will never be anyone quite like him,” Roker wrote.
Scott joined “Today” in 1980 and regularly appeared on the show into the 2000s before he announced his permanent retirement in 2015.
Scott was known for offering birthday wishes to people turning 100 or older, as well as his propensity for dressing up in costume.
He would don a Santa Claus costume for the National Tree Lighting in the 1980s and performed as Ronald McDonald in local commercials, according to the Associated Press.
Former colleague Katie Couric also paid her respects to Scott on social media, noting on Twitter that he “changed so many lives for the better.”
Check back for updates to this developing story.