Vernon Winfrey Health Explored: Did Oprah's Father Suffered Issues Before Recent Death?
Vernon Winfrey, the father of Oprah Winfrey, has died. He was 89.
Oprah revealed the tragic news on her Instagram, saying that her father died a week after holding "Vernon Winfrey Appreciation Day." According to the renowned host, Vernon was able to see their unmatched love for the last time in the days leading to his death.
"Yesterday with family surrounding his bedside, I had the sacred honor of witnessing the man responsible for my life, take his last breath. We could feel Peace enter the room at his passing. That Peace still abides. All is well. Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts," she wrote, sharing a video of the patriarch when Wintley Phipps offered him a song during the special family event.
The post did not disclose Vernon Winfrey's cause of death, but multiple news outlets, including Reuters, confirmed that he died of cancer. The exact type of cancer he struggled with also remains unknown.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the dreaded disease can start anywhere in the body. Usually, cells grow, multiply, and get damaged before new cells take their place. However, due to cancer, the abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply instead, causing tumors that can lead to the disease.
Other than cancer, there is no known health condition Vernon went through.
Vernon Winfrey Receives Tributes From Supporters
Following the release of the family statement, fans left heartfelt comments on Oprah's Instagram post and sent heartfelt messages to the bereaved family.
One said, "As you said to me when my mother passed, "Now you have an angel you can call by name." So sorry for your loss."
"My God the chills I felt as he prayed. He's Resting with the father . Sending my love and condolences!! It was definitely a spirit filled prayer!" another wrote.
His death came days after Oprah and the whole family arranged the celebration to give him "'flowers while he's still well enough to smell them."
He famously became part of the Nashville's Metro City Council for 16 years and served as a trustee for Tennessee State University. His hometown of Kosciusko, Mississippi, was where the host spent her early childhood.
In a 1986 interview, Oprah revealed that she would not be where she was if she had not been sent to his father when she was 14.
She also lived with her mother, Vernita Lee, in Milwaukee. The matriarch died in 2018.
