Mark Consuelos shared some very sad news with the public on Monday, April 6. During Live with Kelly and Mark, the daytime TV program he co-hosts with wife Kelly Ripa, Consuelos said that his father, Saul, passed away two weeks earlier. His cause of death and age were not specified. Per People, Consuelos reminisced during the show about his dad, praising his patriotism, character, and intelligence.
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He somberly observed, "He came here from Mexico in his early teens, he immigrated here from Mexico. He served his country for 30 years. Ended up at Special Operations Command in Tampa. This young kid from Mexico just got his education from the navy. Was always going to school. Was brilliant. Got his Masters while I was a kid."
Furthermore, Consuelos went on, "He loved his country so much. If you're going to put a face to an immigrant, he would be the prime example of what this country promises people."
Ripa Loved Her Father-in-Law, Saul Consuelos
Kelly Ripa shares her husband's deep sense of loss over Saul Consuelos' passing. She added some thoughts of her own to his on the show. She fondly called him "the greatest person I've ever known." Additionally, Ripa said, "I can honestly say I will miss him every day for the rest of my life, as I know you will, as our children will. He really is so symbolic of everything you are."
Their Children Miss Their Grandpa
Ripa also noted that the couple's three children, all in their 20s, feel terrible about Saul Consuelos' death. "This is the first loss they've ever experienced in their lives. And I said, 'By the time I was 8, I had no grandparents. You got to grow up [with grandparents]. You got to have deep, meaningful conversations [with them].'"
Consuelos Learned So Much From His Dad
Saul Consuelos taught his son so much. He seems to have been a huge factor in Mark becoming the man, husband, and father he now is. He affectionately recalled, "It's funny, I used to make a joke about my dad — if you asked him what time it was, he would tell you how to build a watch."
Plus, he said, "There were a lot of lectures, a lot of lectures and I learned so much. If he was fixing something in the house, he'd make me watch and do it. And I didn't know at the time why he was doing that. But now at the house, I'm able to do at least half of the stuff that he did. I learned the most by just watching him."
Ripa Paid Tribute To Mark and Saul
She spoke some words to her husband that were sweet and loving. Enough to bring a tear to the eye. Ripa told her spouse of thirty years, "You're the strongest person I know. You continually inspire me every day,. All of the good things that I love about you, I loved those same things about your dad. So I just want to say thank you, dad, for everything you gave to us. Everything."
