RIP: SNL Announcer Don Pardo Dead at 96

Don Pardo, long-time NBC television announcer, passed away at his home in Arizona at the age of 96 on Monday, August 18, 2014.

Pardo was a radio announcer before teaming up with NBC in its early day. There he began a career that would result in him being given a lifetime contract and he would deliver newscasts and announce game shows and TV programs for more than 60 years.

He was the announcer for the original version of the game show “Jeopardy!”, hosted by Art Fleming, and later became such a well-known part of “Saturday Night Live”, that Jimmy Fallon once said: “Nothing is like the moment when Don Pardo says your name.”

He was born Dominick George Pardo was born in Westfield, MA. on February 22, 1918, and grew up in Norwich, CT. He once explained that he rejected “Nicky” as the shortened version of his name and decided to go with “Dom.” When that resulted in too many people mistaking it for “Don,” he figured the easiest thing to do was go by that.

Intending to retire in 2004, it seemed that SNL’s executive producer Lorne Michaels couldn’t do without him so Pardo continued to commute from Tucson to New York to open the show for several years, eventually recording his intros from his home.

Mr. Pardo was preceded in death by his wife, Catherine. He is survived by their three daughters, Dona, Paula and Katherine, two sons, David and Michael; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.