Who was Merri Dee? Tributes pour in as broadcast TV legend who survived kidnapping dies aged 85

Popular Chicago broadcaster Merri Dee recently passed away at the age of 85. Her family said that she died peacefully in her sleep overnight. They issued a statement which read:

“With great sadness, our family announces the love of our beloved matriarch, the brightest light in our lives, Merri Dee, who died peacefully in her sleep at home. As you can imagine our family is simply heartbroken and ask for privacy at this time.”

Her website has updated information about her funeral and memorial service, expected to occur in the upcoming days.

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Everything known about Merri Dee

Born as Mary Francine Dorham, she attended Englewood Technical Prep Academy and graduated in 1955. She shifted to New Orleans to attend Xavier University, where she was a business administration major. She dropped out to take a job supporting her siblings and worked as a salesperson with IBM.

She got her first hosting job at the radio station WBEE. She eventually became a local celebrity on Chicago Radio and began hosting an entertainment program on WCIU in 1968. She was the host of The Merri Dee Show on the independent station WSNS in 1971.

She became an anchor for WGN-TV’s 10:00 p.m. in 1972 and spent eleven years at the radio station in different on-air positions. She then moved to an off-air position as the station’s director for community development and manager for WGN-TV Children’s Charities in 1984.

After her retirement in 2008, she helped raise $31 million in donations for the station’s charity initiatives. She joined the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Women for the City of Chicago and was a member of the volunteer Executive Council of the Illinois chapter of AARP. She was later appointed AARP State President.

Merri helped draft the country’s Victims’ Bill of Rights in 1992 and founded the Chicago-based program Athletes for a Better Education. She was the television host of the United Negro College Fund’s Evening of Stars fundraiser and developed an on-air segment for WGN-TV entitled The Waiting Child.

Merri Dee was a philanthropist and television journalist (Image via Maury Phillips/Getty Images)

She was honored with an honorary Doctorate of Humanities by Lewis University in 2000 and won the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Silver Circle Award the following year. She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the University of Illinois’ Center of Women in 2003 and a President’s Award by the United Negro College Fund in 2004.

Dee served as an executive board member for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Junior Achievement Worldwide, the Associated Colleges of Illinois, board member for The National College Summit, and member of the Illinois State Attorney’s Council on Violence.

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Survivor of an attack in 1971

Merri and her show’s guest Alan Sandler were kidnapped on July 17, 1971. The latter was shot, leading to his death.

While returning to the WSNS-TV studios after having dinner, the duo were approached by Samuel Drew. Drew made Dee drive to a remote area where he shot them twice in the back of the head, dumped them out of the car, and left the spot.

Merri crawled to the highway, where she was rescued and admitted to a hospital. Doctors did not expect her to survive after looking at her wounds.

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Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Merri Dee’s name was known to everyone as a popular journalist. People expressed their grief on Twitter when they heard about her death:

She is survived by her husband Nicolas Fulop and their two children, daughter Toya Monet and son Attorney Richard H. Wright.