Al Roker and his late father, Albert, who was a longtime NYC bus driver.Photo:Instagram/alroker
Instagram/alroker
Al Rokeris honoring the life and legacy of his late father, Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.
The weather forecaster became nostalgic when he hosted an early Father’s Day segment on theTodayshow Tuesday, honoring the thousands of NYC bus operators who tirelessly transport New Yorkers safely around the city — including his own father who did the same work for over two decades.
“When I was off from school, he’d take me on the bus with him and [at] the end of his run, we’d be in the parking lot and he’d let me steer the bus,” he said. “I’d literally sit on his lap, he let me steer the bus."
“There was this two-way street of pride,” Roker added. “I was so proud to see my dad doing this and I think he was proud to see me see him doing that.”
Al Roker honoring his late father
Sitting in the same seat from his childhood, Roker thought back on his memories of getting Yoo-Hoos from “a place in Brooklyn called Goodies luncheonette” and being introduced to his dad’s “favorite passengers.”
“My dad was everything to me and my siblings,” he added. “And we were so proud of him and he was proud of us.”
Al Roker.Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty
Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty
In anexclusive interview with PEOPLElast year, Roker said the fond memories he has of his dad have shaped the type of father he is today.
“I know for myself, I tend to put my dad a bit on a pedestal. He had his faults and all of his issues, but one of the things I always remember, and I try to do, is that he really was my greatest advocate. And I try to be that for my kids,” Roker said.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Over the years, he has also continued to honor his dad’s legacy — bothonTodayand in social media tributes.
In February 2017, Roker marked what would’ve been his dad’s 85th birthday. “Today would have been Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.’s 85th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dad. I love you,“he tweeted.
The following year, Rokerpaid tribute to his dadon Instagram for a Father’s Day post. “I miss Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr. every day,” he captioned the post, in part.
Roker alsoreflected on how precious life isahead of Father’s Day 2020. “Missing Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr. I’m coming up on 66 and at the same age, he only had 2 more Fathers Days left. I just want more Fathers Days,” he wrote beside a family photo.
source: people.com
