Tucker Carlson has announced the passing of his father, Richard “Dick” Warner Carlson, at the age of 84. A towering figure in journalism and public service, Richard Carlson played a crucial role in shaping his son’s worldview. After gaining full custody of Tucker and his brother, he raised them with a strong emphasis on discipline, curiosity, and resilience—values that would later define Tucker’s approach to journalism and public life.

A Distinguished Career of Public Service

Richard Warner Carlson, father of conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, passed away at the age of 84 after a six-week illness at his home in Boca Grande, Florida. Throughout his lifetime, Dick Carlson built an impressive career spanning journalism and government service, including notable appointments as the US ambassador to Seychelles under President George H.W. Bush and director of Voice of America during the Reagan administration.

Before his government roles, Dick Carlson established himself as a reporter and became a well-known news anchor in San Diego. His journalistic background would later influence his son Tucker, who followed in his footsteps to become one of the most recognizable conservative voices in American media.

Obituary for my father.

Richard Warner Carlson died at 84 on March 24, 2025 at home in Boca Grande, Florida after six weeks of illness. He refused all painkillers to the end and left this world with dignity and clarity, holding the hands of his children with his dogs at his… pic.twitter.com/4lMygMkSIT

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 26, 2025

An Unconventional Upbringing

Tucker Carlson’s childhood was shaped by his father’s approach to parenting, which emphasized exposure to real-world experiences and diverse perspectives. Dick Carlson gained full custody of his sons, Tucker and Buckley, following his divorce from their mother, Lisa McNear Lombardi, who reportedly struggled with substance abuse issues.

TUCKER CARLSON ANNOUNCES DEATH OF HIS FATHER, RICHARD W. CARLSON, AT 84

Tucker Carlson has shared a moving tribute following the death of his father, Richard Warner Carlson, who passed away 3 days ago at his home in Florida, surrounded by family and dogs, after a brief… pic.twitter.com/ptg1xXzwaq

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 27, 2025

The elder Carlson believed in immersing his children in his professional world, even taking them along to reporting assignments, including murder investigations. According to biographer Chadwick Moore, “As soon as they could walk, he dragged them along to dinners, restaurants, work events, and reporting gigs to ensure, as he says, that they ‘became well-informed and early gourmands.’”

A Lasting Legacy

The father-son relationship between Dick and Tucker Carlson was remarkably close throughout their lives. Tucker shared that his father “spoke to his sons every day and had lunch with them once a week for thirty years at the Metropolitan Club in Washington, always prefaced by a dice game.”

After moving to San Diego, Dick Carlson married Patricia Swanson, an heiress to the Swanson frozen dinner fortune, who became Tucker’s stepmother. This marriage provided financial stability and new opportunities for the family, though Tucker’s upbringing continued to emphasize independence and resilience.

Dick Carlson’s final years included work that, according to Tucker, “was not fully understood by his family” for the last 25 years of his life. He is survived by his two sons, Tucker and Buckley Carlson, and five grandchildren, leaving behind a legacy of public service, journalism, and devoted fatherhood that continues to influence one of America’s most prominent conservative voices.

Sources:

• Tucker Carlson announces heartbreaking family tragedy

• Tucker Carlson Reveals the Death of His Father Dick Carlson at 84