WHAT'S COME OUT ABOUT REGIS PHILBIN SINCE HIS DEATH
By ALEXANDRA SIMON
History - Science
Just a few days after Regis Philbin's death on July 25, 2020, it was revealed that the cause of his death was an apparent heart attack. The legendary television host was suffering from a heart condition called coronary artery disease — plaque buildup in the arteries that impedes blood flow and function of oxygen to the heart — which led to the attack.
Regis Philbin was buried at his alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, where he completed his college studies. Philbin was a big donor to the institute and was seemingly very loved by Notre Dame, which made it all the more appropriate that the school would be his final resting place. In August 2020, Philbin was buried in the campus' Cedar Grove Cemetery.
As a recognized television figure, Regis Philbin was greatly saddened by how the COVID-19 pandemic shifted live shows, and it took a toll on him mentally. His former co-host and longtime friend, Kathie Lee Gifford, revealed in October 2020 that Philbin was heartbroken that he couldn't do the job he loved the most, stating, “He was pretty much in depression, I think.”
Only a week after Philbin was buried, his multimillion dollar Greenwich home, which had been on the market since 2019, was sold for a little over $4 million. He is survived by Joy Philbin, his second wife, whom he married in 1970.
Regis Philbin was the first host of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” in the United States, and he is still the person most associated with the quiz show. Appropriately, current host Jimmy Kimmel paid tribute to him on the first episode after his death, and a memorial video of the early seasons of “Millionaire” was shown.