"I am so lost without you": Sam Rubin's son speaks out
Sam Rubin’s son has delivered an emotional on-air tribute to his late dad just days after his passing.
The entertainment reporter died unexpectedly at the age of 64, after reportedly suffering a heart attack in his Los Angeles home last Friday.
He worked for LA TV station KTLA as their entertainment reporter, and was a regular guest on Aussie programs like Today and Today Extra.
Colby Rubin, the youngest of the reporter's four children, joined KTLA 5 Morning News on Monday to reflect on his father's death.
“Hi dad. I wrote this under the desk in your cubicle – only you weren’t there to wake me up this time. Dad, I can’t believe you’re gone,” the 16-year-old began.
“I love you so much. On the day you died, I hope you heard me say that. You were the kindest soul, the light in every room. I can’t imagine my life without you... You were always there.”
He said he idolised his father calling him his hero, and said: “I never got to tell you that, and I’m so sorry dad.”
Colby then shared some of their private texts showing how encouraging his father was when he was unsure of himself, telling him: "You can do this,” and "you have every gift. Respect your own talent."
At this point, Colby was overwhelmed with emotion, with the hosts telling him he could take a break but the teen powered on.
“I can’t believe I’ve lost you. I had more of a father in 16 years than some people get in their entire lives, and I’m so grateful.
"You are a beautiful human and you will never be forgotten. Dad I love you. I am so lost without you, I’ll miss you every day. I hope you know how loved you are.”
Colby's tribute left his father's colleagues in tears with one co-host telling him simply: “He knew.”
“He would be so proud of you. All of us are parents, we all can say – that is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” another said as she fought back tears.
Viewers praised Colby for his “strength and composure” in delivering such an emotional tribute just days after losing his father.
“Amazing how Colby was able to do this with such grace, strength, and composure. You can tell Sam was an amazing father through Colby’s tribute,” TV anchor Stephanie Myers wrote on X.
Sam is survived by his wife Leslie and four children: Perry, 28, Rory, 23, Darcy, 18, and Colby.
Image: KTLA/ X