Jerry Springer Was a 'Class Act' and 'Mensch' Who 'Didn't Take Himself Too Seriously,' Says Former Publicist
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"People would come up on the street and say, 'Jerry, I love your show,' and he'd go, 'I'm sorry.' That was Jerry," Gary Rosen tells PEOPLE of the talk show host, who died Thursday at age 79
Jerry Springer may have become a household name with the success of The Jerry Springer Show, but he is being remembered as a family man following his death at age 79.
Gary Rosen, a former publicist for Springer's long-running syndicated talk show who worked with the TV emcee for several years after the daytime series moved from Chicago to Connecticut, tells PEOPLE the late television host — who had a daughter Katie Springer with his ex-wife, Micki Velton — would want to be known as "a good father and grandfather."
"The rest — the celebrity part — he said is just ego," Rosen says. "I will remember him [as] a class act, who was a true mensch to his staff, crew and fans from all over the world."
Related:Jerry Springer, Talk Show Icon and Former Cincinnati Mayor, Dead at 79
Rosen recalled Springer being "very self-deprecating and private" despite the success of his show.
"When we would go out and do press, if we were either in another city or we had extra time on our hands, we would go to Barnes & Noble and Jerry would buy a stack of books," he says. "He would often take these books and when he would go out for lunch or dinner, he would sometimes eat by himself and just read."
"He didn't take himself too seriously. People would come up on the street and say, 'Jerry, I love your show,' and he'd go, 'I'm sorry.'" he adds. "That was Jerry. He was like your uncle. He was the every man. He just had this crazy show."
The Jerry Springer Show — which ran in syndication from 1991 to 2018 — was a "the launching pad for everything else" for Springer, according to Rosen.
"The Jerry Springer Show gave him the opportunity, and he would say this, to do so many other things that, as a result of that notoriety, he wouldn't have been able to do," he explains, noting that Springer particularly enjoyed starring on Broadway as Billy Flynn in Chicago and his tenure on America's Got Talent.
Springer went on to produce and star in Judge Jerry, which ran for three seasons, and hosted another talk show in Connecticut, as well as the Price Is Right Live! tour.
RELATED VIDEO: Jerry Springer Shares What He'll Miss the Most from The Jerry Springer Show
Related:Jerry Springer's Cause of Death Confirmed as Pancreatic Cancer: 'His Illness Was Sudden'
Rabbi Sandford Kopnick of The Valley Temple in Cincinnati, where Springer was part of the congregation, also remembered the late television personality as "a kind and generous person" who was "the most devoted husband and father and grandfather."
"There was much more to him than The Jerry Springer Show. He was very, very smart," he says. "He was a remarkable family man, and he was somebody who understood what it means to pay it forward. He always knew his good fortune. He never took it for granted."
He added, "When he certainly could have moved on to another congregation after I arrived in this one, not only did he stay, but he did what he could to make it thrive."
"He found services to be meaningful. He always really embraced his Jewish identity. He did whatever he could to promote the accurate knowledge of the Holocaust, and he was as good as they get."
Kopnick also recalled Springer greeting fans at the temple, sharing, "I always loved it when he would meet somebody who always knew who he was. He would always reach out his hand and say, 'Jerry Springer.' As if they didn't know. But it was always disarming to the person who was meeting him."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
PEOPLE confirmed that Springer died in a suburb of Chicago on Thursday after a "brief illness."
"Jerry's ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word," family friend and spokesman Jene Galvin said in a statement to PEOPLE. "He's irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on."
The statement continued, "Funeral services and a memorial gathering are currently being developed. To remember Jerry, the family asks that in lieu of flowers you consider following his spirit and make a donation or commit to an act of kindness to someone in need or a worthy advocacy organization. As he always said, 'Take care of yourself, and each other.'"
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
