‘Today’ Host Willie Geist’s Dad Inspired Him to Pursue Journalism! Meet Reporter Bill Geist

Today host Willie Geist has gained a huge fanbase from his appearances on the long-running talk show and other projects. The TV personality followed in the footsteps of his father, journalist Bill Geist, when it came to choosing his career path. Scroll below to get to know the talk show star’s dad. 

Who Is Willie Geist’s Dad, Bill Geist?

Bill was born in 1945 in Chicago. In the early days of his journalism career, he worked as a columnist for The Chicago Tribune. 

The reporter married social worker Jody Geist in 1970 and helped raise their two kids, Willie and Libby, while balancing his busy work schedule. The family later moved to New York where Bill worked as a columnist for The New York Times. 

He joined CBS as a correspondent in the late ‘80s and made regular appearances on CBS Sunday Morning. The two-time Emmy Award winner authored multiple bestselling books, including The Zucchini Plague and Other Tales of Suburbia and Lake of the Ozarks: My Surreal Summers in a Vanishing America.

When Was Bill Geist Diagnosed With Parkinson’s Disease? 

In 2012, Bill went public with his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. He has been battling the neurodegenerative disorder since 1992 but opted to initially keep his diagnosis a secret from his children.

“I didn’t want to be seen as the sick guy when you walk into a room, ‘Oh, he’s got Parkinson’s,’” he said during a July 2012 episode of CBS Sunday Morning. “That’s the first thing they think about, or I didn’t want to scare my kids and make them worry about it. There are personal reasons too. You know, you’re afraid you’ll get laid off or won’t be promoted or something like that. There are all kinds of reasons for it.”

When Did Bill Geist Retire? 

After 31 years on CBS Sunday Morning, Bill retired from the program in September 2018. 

“In 1987, Charles Kuralt called me and said, ‘Come on and join us, it’ll be fun.’ He was so right! I hope it’s been fun for all of you too,” he said during his final episode of the broadcast. “Thanks for watching these past thousand or so Sundays. It’s been my great pleasure.” 

Bill has been spending time with his wife, kids and grandkids since his retirement from TV. In November 2020, Willie ran a half marathon to help raise awareness for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the organization dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s. Bill showed up to support Willie on the sidelines. 

“Look who surprised me at the finish line after I ran a half marathon today. That’s my dad, Bill Geist,” the Morning Joe anchor captioned an Instagram photo with his dad. “I ran for him and for the millions of other people living with Parkinson’s disease. He was in my mind, pushing me through the cold and the rain to a personal best time and then … there he was!”