Kathie Lee Gifford is honoring love, loss, and friendship all at once.
On Saturday, August 9, the former Today show star reflected on the 10th anniversary of her husband Frank Gifford’s death, while also celebrating her longtime friend and former co-host Hoda Kotb’s birthday.
A day of rejoicing, not sorrow
In an Instagram post, Kathie Lee, who just turned 72, began with a joyful note: “Today is a day for rejoicing!” She explained that her first celebration was for Hoda, who turned 61 on the same day.
“She is one of the most spectacular people I have ever known and I adore her and I want all her dreams to come true,” Kathie Lee wrote, alongside a warm photo of the two women hugging at Kathie Lee Gifford Plaza in Rockefeller Center.
But August 9 also carries deep personal weight. It marks the day Kathie Lee lost her husband of nearly 30 years, legendary NFL star and broadcaster Frank Gifford, who passed away in 2015 just a week shy of his 85th birthday.
Instead of focusing on grief, Kathie Lee leaned into her Christian faith, writing: “My precious husband, Frank, went home to Jesus 10 years ago today, and he has been at peace and filled with joy and glory since that very day. I find comfort in that. So, I’m rejoicing in the Lord and how He cares for His loved ones, for His children.”
She closed her message with a blessing: “Bless all of you today. And I hope you can find the same kind of Shalom in your lives.”
Holding onto Frank’s presence
Kathie Lee and Frank shared two children together, Cody, 35, and Cassidy, 32. Both were married in the summer of 2020, and Kathie Lee has said she felt Frank’s spirit at those milestone moments.
“At both weddings, we felt Frank just smiling,” she told People at the time. “He had an aerial view, I think.”
Cody even exchanged vows at the family’s Greenwich, Connecticut home, in the same spot where Frank’s ashes had been spread.
Kathie Lee has also spoken about her gratitude that Frank lived long enough to meet both of their children’s partners. “Frank knew Ben [Wierda], Cassidy’s husband, since he was 14 years old. And Frank adored Erika [Brown], he met her at my 60th birthday. He loved her smile and laugh,” she said, recalling how her late husband had welcomed them into the family with warmth and laughter.
Happy birthday Kathie Lee
Just a week after honoring the 10th anniversary of Frank’s passing, Kathie Lee celebrated her own milestone — her 72nd birthday on August 16. While friends and fans marked the occasion with love and warm wishes, the joy of her special day was still shadowed by the grief she felt only days earlier.
In characteristic fashion, Kathie Lee chose to embrace both realities. She remembered Frank with faith and gratitude, while also celebrating the blessings of her present life — including her friendships, her children, and her growing family. The closeness of the two dates served as a poignant reminder of how love and loss can walk side by side, shaping her outlook as she enters another year of life.
