Al Roker honors the life and legacy of his late father, Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.
The weather forecaster got nostalgic when he hosted an early Father’s Day episode on TV. Today The Tuesday show honors the thousands of NYC bus operators who tirelessly transport New Yorkers safely around the city—including his own father, who has been in the same business for more than two decades.
Sitting with four bus operators from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), 68-year-old Roker recalled the memories and pride he felt when he let his father follow him on the bus route.
“He used to put me on the bus when I got out of school and [at] “At the end of his run, we would be in the parking lot and he would let me use the bus.” “I would literally sit on his lap, he let me use the bus.”
“There was this two-way street of pride,” Roker added. “I was very proud to see my father do it, and I think he was very proud of me to see him do it.”
Al Roker honors his late father
Modern buses are equipped with amenities such as air conditioning and USB ports, but Roker stepped back into the past when given the opportunity to sit in the model bus his father used in the 1950s and 60s. The bus was part of a former fleet preserved by the New York Transit Museum.
Sitting in the same seat since childhood, Roker pondered memories of picking up the Yoo-Hoos “from a place called Goodies lunch in Brooklyn” and being introduced to his father’s “favorite travelers”.
“My father was everything to me and my siblings,” she added. “And we were very proud of him and he was very proud of us.”
via Getty Lexie Moreland/WWD
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE last year, Roker said his fond memories of his father shaped the type of father he is today.
“I know for myself, I tend to put my dad on a bit of a pedestal. He had his faults and all his problems, but one of the things I always remember and try to do is that he’s really my eldest and that’s how I try to be for my kids,” said Roker.
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Over the years, he has also continued to honor his father’s legacy – both Today and in social media tributes.
In February 2017, Roker celebrated his father’s 85th birthday. “Today would have been Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.’s 85th birthday. Happy birthday, Dad. I love you.” tweeted.
The following year, Roker paid tribute to his father on Instagram for a Father’s Day post. “I miss Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr. every day,” he wrote in part of the post.
Roker also expressed how precious life is in front of 2020 Father’s Day. “The vanishing Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr. I’m 66 and the same age, he only had 2 more Father’s Days. I just want more Father’s Days,” she wrote next to a family photo.