Norman Lear, World War II veteran, mogul TV producer dies at 101
By
Joel Searls
Dec 7, 2023
Reviewed by
Tessa Robinson
Norman Lear, most known for his TV producing as the creator of such shows as All in the Family and The Jeffersons, also lived a life of service.
Norman Lear, most known for his TV producing as the creator of such shows as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Maude, Sanford and Son, Diff'rent Strokes, Mary Hartman, Mary, One Day at a Time and Good Times has passed at the age of 101. Lear worked as a tireless activist as well. He received many awards, including six Primetime Emmys, two Peabody Awards, the National Medal of the Arts, Kennedy Central Honors and the Golden Globe Carol Burnett Award.
Lear left this earth on December 5, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. They are quoted with saying, “Thank you for the moving outpouring of love and support in honor of our wonderful husband, father, and grandfather.” The family further stated, “Norman lived a life of creativity, tenacity, and empathy. He deeply loved our country and spent a lifetime helping to preserve its founding ideals of justice and equality for all. Knowing and loving him has been the greatest of gifts. We ask for your understanding as we mourn privately in celebration of this remarkable human being.” Even at 101, Lear was in the middle of producing multiple TV shows and a movie when he passed.
Lear was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and moved to Chelsea, Massachusetts, at the age of nine. He was taking classes at Emerson College when World War II started, so Lear dropped out to enlist in the service. He served as a radioman and gunner onboard a B-17 during the war. He served in the Mediterranean Theater with the 772nd Bomb Squadron, 463rd Bomb Group of the Fifteenth Air Force. He flew 52 combat missions and was awarded the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters. He transitioned out of the service and into public relations following the war.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/norman-lear-world-war-ii-veteran-mogul-tv-producer-dies-at-101/