Howard Cosell’s beloved wife Emmy’s sudden passing in 1990 from a heart attack marked a deeply emotional chapter for him. His health declined rapidly, and he passed away in 1995, five years after Emmy’s absence.
Howard Cosell was an influential American sports journalist, broadcaster, and author.
Born on March 25, 1918, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he became well-known for his work with ABC Sports from 1953 to 1985.
Cosell was famous for his confident, sometimes controversial, and outspoken personality, earning him nicknames like “Humble Howard” and “The Voice of Monday Night Football.”
Moreover, he was known for his work on Monday Night Football, where he provided commentary from 1970 to 1983.
Tragically, Cosell passed away due to cardiac embolism on April 23, 1995, but his legacy in sports journalism remains impactful.
Howard Cosell Married Mary Edith While He was Serving in The Military During World War II
Howard Cosell’s wife was Mary Edith Abrams, AKA “Emmy” Cosell. She was born in January 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to parents Norman Ross Abrams and Ada D Hackman.
Unfortunately, there is not much detailed information about her in the public domain.
However, it is known that she married Howard in 1944 during World War II while he was serving in the military.
They were together for 46 years until Mary passed away at the age of 69 in 1990 in Suffolk, New York. She was buried in Westhampton Cemetery, Southampton, New York, United States.
After Emmy’s death, Howard’s health began to decline, and he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1991.
He had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, but his health continued to deteriorate. Later, he was diagnosed with heart disease, kidney problems, and Parkinson’s.
Tragically, Cosell passed away from a heart attack on April 23, 1995, at the age of 77.
Now, regarding their kids, the couple shared a life together that included raising two daughters, Hilary and Jill Cosell.
Hilary pursued a career in television and journalism. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and worked for NBC Sports.
During her time at NBC Sports, she wrote and produced the “SportsJournal” segment and was nominated for an Emmy four times during her career. In addition, she continues to be involved in the media industry.
On the other hand, Jill has maintained a lower profile than her sister, and there isn’t much detailed information about her in the public domain.
Billy Crystal Shared Stories About Howard Cosell On The Rich Eisen Show!
Howard Cosell is in the spotlight again recently because of a touching story shared by Billy Crystal on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show.
In his recent appearance, Billy Crystal shared a touching story about his experience guest-hosting The Tonight Show in the 1980s when Howard Cosell was his guest.
In an interview, he shared how Cosell arrived emotionally at Crystal’s dressing room, crying and moaning that “everything” was wrong.
Crystal also added how Cosell assured that he would pull it together once the show started broadcasting live to the audience.
At the end of the show, Howard Cosell leaned over to Billy Crystal and said,
Did you notice how I dominated you? I do the same thing to Letterman.
Billy shared this story to highlight the unpredictable and larger-than-life personality of Howard Cosell and the memorable experiences he had while working on television.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Howard was born to Jewish parents, Isidore Cohen, an accountant, and Nellie Rosenthal.
- He served in the United States Army Transportation Corps and was promoted to Major.
- He passed away at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in Manhattan of a cardiac embolism. He was buried at Westhampton Cemetery, New York.
