GARRISON, NY—On Thursday, May 7, decades long newscaster and producer, Michael Clemente passed away suddenly. He was at home with family when he died. He was 70 years old.
Clemente began his career working as a production assistant for ABC’s Good Morning America. He learned from and worked with other broadcasters and legends of the trade, including This Week with David Brinkley (1987-1991), on World News Tonight, with Peter Jennings, as co-producer with Barbara Walters on 20/20 (2001), Executive Vice President at Fox News with Megyn Kelly (2010-2016).
He walked us through global historical events. Clemente was working as a writer, for then ABC News Anchor, Frank Reynolds, and was sitting right there next to him on March 30, 1981, during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Regan, when Reynolds announced, “The President has been shot.”
Clemente traveled the world reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. It was 1990-1991 when he traveled with Peter Jennings for ABC News covering the first Gulf War.
In an October 17, 2022, interview at Trinity Broadcasting Network’s “Center Point,” Clemente, who grew up Catholic spoke on the 25th Anniversary of the death of Princess Diana. He noted the much-deserved media attention the Princess’s death received stating, “She was a wonderful person.”
“Within a shadow of her passing and her funeral, Mother Teresa died.” He devoted a segment of the news to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, what she accomplished in her lifetime. He had a Pastor named Allen Jackson on from Tennessee. Together, they spoke on the Princess and the Queen’s kingdom, and “The kingdom of the Good Lord, and what his intentions are for us here on earth exemplified no better than by what Mother Teresa did all those years.” – Michael Clemente
On April 12, political commentator, and star of SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly, of The Megyn Kelly Show, gave tribute to Clemente on her X social media page.
“Very sad to hear this. We worked closely together for years on some huge events at Fox. He was extremely dedicated to the job, cared deeply and always made me laugh. Prayers for his family.”
Michael Clemente leaves behind his wife, Jeanne, his children, Maggie, Mike Cassie, and Noelle, his brother, Richard (Marcy), Sister Lisa (Dave), Lynn, Joyce, Anne, and a host of nieces and nephews.
A viewing will be held at Chapman funeral Home in Harwich, MA on May 20, 10:30-12:30 p.m., followed by the funeral Mass will be at Holy Trinity Chapel at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in West Harwich.
