TV producer and The View co-creator, Bill Geddie, died on Jul. 20, his daughter Allison, confirmed to PEOPLE on Jul. 21. “My father was the greatest man I knew. He was an upbeat guy who was always cracking a joke. When he had an opinion everyone wanted to hear it and they trusted what he had to say,” his daughter told the outlet regarding her late father’s personality. “Everything he touched turned to gold. He was kind, supportive, and had impeccable integrity. We are devastated by this loss but are so grateful that we got this incredible man in our lives for as long as we did.”
She confirmed that the late 68-year-old died due to a coronary-related issue at his home in Rancho Mirage, CA. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Geddie, and their two daughters Allison and Lauren. Soon after news of Bill’s death broke, many famous TV personalities took to social media to mourn the loss. Read their emotional tributes below.
Joy Behar
We are saddened by the sudden death of Bill Geddie.
As a producer, he kept us together and was very loyal to his staff. Bill loved comedy and plenty of laughs not to mention a good cigar. I’m forever grateful to him and Barbara for the opportunity to be on the View. RIP…— Joy Behar (@JoyVBehar) July 21, 2023
Joy Behar, 80, who has co-hosted The View off-and-on for decades, was one of the first to post a tribute for Bill on Jul. 21. “We are saddened by the sudden death of Bill Geddie. As a producer, he kept us together and was very loyal to his staff,” her tweet began. “Bill loved comedy and plenty of laughs not to mention a good cigar. I’m forever grateful to him and Barbara [Walters] for the opportunity to be on the View. RIP ‘VIEWMASTER.'”
Sunny Hostin
My friend & mentor Bill Geddie has transitioned at 68. Bill was the 1st person to believe that I could be a national talk show host. He told me after an audition for The View “you were sitting there watching the show instead of being on the show. Lean in like I know you can.” 💔
— Sunny Hostin (@sunny) July 21, 2023
Joy’s co-host, Sunny Hostin, 54, made sure to also post a tribute for Bill upon hearing about his death that Friday. “My friend & mentor Bill Geddie has transitioned at 68. Bill was the 1st person to believe that I could be a national talk show host,” she penned in the tweet. “He told me after an audition for The View ‘you were sitting there watching the show instead of being on the show. Lean in like I know you can.'” The brunette beauty also added a broken heart emoji to the tweet.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Journalist and TV personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck, 46, took to Instagram on Jul. 21 to re-post a photo of Bill to grieve his loss. The occasional co-host of The View also captioned the post with kind words for Bill and his family. “Bill Geddie was an authentic supporter of the voices of women on television, and challenged us daily to think and speak independently for the decade we worked together,” her somber message read. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity that both Bill Geddie and Barbara Walters gave me. He will be missed and my heart goes out to his family.”
Sherri Shepherd
Actress, comedian, and former co-host of The View, Sherri Shepherd, 56, took to Twitter to share photos of Bill to honor his memory on Jul. 21. “I am completely devastated at the passing of #BillGeddie the co-creator of @TheView,” her caption began. “Bill took a chance and cast me – a standup comic with no talk show experience – as a co-host on ‘The View.’ Bill completely changed my life because he believed in me. #TheView.” Sherri now hosts her own talk show titled, Sherri, as of 2022.
Debbie Matenopoulos
Debbie Matenopoulos, 48, who was one of the original co-hosts of The View when it premiered in 1997, shared a lengthy tribute for the late TV giant. She also included a throwback photo of him alongside her younger self. “~Bill Geddie~Boss, Mentor, Friend, Colleague, Producing Partner I can’t believe I am writing these words. We texted 3 days ago. How is this possible? I am having a hard time making sense of any of this. I have known you for more years of my life than I have not,” her caption began. “You started out as my boss who I was so in awe of. You and Barbara took a chance on me for your major network show that would change the face of daytime tv forever. You believed in me and encouraged me when I was a 21 year old kid at NYU and did not believe in myself or my abilities.” Debbie’s full caption can be read in the post linked above.
Maria Shriver
Bill Geddie was my producer for several years when we both worked in local news. He was supremely talented, kind beyond words, a lovely man and a great friend. I’m so sad about this and my heart goes out to Barbara ❤️ https://t.co/ECaBSPxbH3
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) July 22, 2023
Although Maria Shriver, 67, did not co-host The View, she did work with Bill when they both worked in local news. She took to Twitter to share a photo of him and penned a sweet tribute. “Bill Geddie was my producer for several years when we both worked in local news,” her tweet read. “He was supremely talented, kind beyond words, a lovely man and a great friend. I’m so sad about this and my heart goes out to Barbara.”