Image Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC
Savannah Guthrie and her loved ones have previously faced trying circumstances. With the recent updates about her mother, Nancy Guthrie‘s, missing-persons situation, many are gaining knowledge about the Guthries, notably Savannah’s deceased father, Charles Guthrie. His passing occurred when she was still in her adolescence, a subject the Today host has discussed openly through the years.
In her 2024 spiritually themed book, Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere, Savannah recounted the agony she endured following her father’s passing.
“It fractured our family and devastated us,” she expressed during an interview at the time, while promoting her publication.
Discover more about Charles and the impact his demise had on Savannah’s family below.
Who Is Savannah Guthrie’s Dad?
Savannah’s father, Charles, served as the muse for the NBC star’s son’s given name. He passed away when she was only 16 years of age.
What Happened to Charles Guthrie? How Savannah’s Father Died
Charles succumbed to a sudden cardiac arrest. She remembered the distressing ordeal in her family during a February 2024 discussion with People.
“My father passed away when I was 16. I contemplate him constantly,” she stated. “He possessed depth and complexity, and he did not address us as though we were young children. He shared details that I didn’t comprehend at the time but would later recall, long after his passing.”
Describing the absence of Charles as “shocking and heartbreaking,” Savannah added that his passing “fractured our family and devastated us.”
“He served as our center,” she went on. “We simply idealized him and held him in high esteem. He was larger than life, amusing, captivating, and charming. His departure was incredibly sudden and quite shocking. … My father’s passing represented all of those elements for me and my loved ones.”
However, “with the mending of time, yet chiefly through the benevolence of God,” Savannah explained, she and her family were empowered to “reconcile and come to an understanding. And through belief, affirm not only that God knows his purpose, that mortality is not his intention, but that through faith, we harbor hope.”
How Old Was Savannah Guthrie’s Dad When He Died?
Charles was in his late 40s at the time of his death from a heart attack. Men’s Journal indicated he was 46, whereas Parade reported he was 49.