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Regis Philbin Is a TV Legend! See Photos of the Game Show Host Through the Years

TV icon Regis Philbin is a legend! Not only has he won a Daytime Emmy and a Lifetime Achievement Award for his amazing hosting abilities, but he also touched so many hearts before he died on July 25.

“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,” Regis’ family said in a statement, according to Us Weekly. “His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”

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Many of Regis’ former colleagues honored the star after his death with sweet tributes on social media, including his former cohost Kelly Ripa, who called him “the ultimate class act.” Regis brought “laughter and joy into our homes every day on Live for more than 23 years,” she said on Instagram. “We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire every day to fill his shoes on the show.”

In 2011, the TV personality departed Live! With Regis and Kelly to live out the rest of his life in retirement with wife Joy Philbin and his kids, Joanna, J.J., Amy and Daniel, who died at age 49 in 2014. But even though he wasn’t working as much as he used to, Regis still made guest appearances on hit shows like Jack & Jill, Hot in Cleveland, New Girl, The Odd Couple, and Uncle Grandpa. Apparently, the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire star couldn’t stay away from his favorite gig — being a TV host — for too long!

In January 2018, Regis joined The Hallmark Channel for a week and hosted its talk show Home & Family. He also stepped up when Today cohost Hoda Kotb left for maternity leave in March of that same year. If there’s anything we can learn from Regis’ successful career, it’s to never give up on something you really want to do.

If you’d like to honor Regis’ memory, his family kindly asks that you “make a donation to http://foodbanknyc.org/, to help people in need in his beloved New York, especially his home borough of The Bronx. Thank you.”

Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of Regis through the years!