Condolences: Tedd Webb
• Tedd Webb, who was a major presence on Tampa Bay radio for the better part of a half-century, died Tuesday, March 30 at the age of 72, less than a week after he announced he was entering hospice care. Webb, whose real name was Henry Ruiz, was best known for his lengthy stint co-hosting AM Tampa Bay on iHeartMedia’s NewsRadio 970 WFLA from 1994 until his retirement in 2017.
In a recent exchange with the Tampa Bay Times, Webb had said, “My kidneys are 100 percent down. They don’t work. You can’t live without kidneys. I’m at peace with God. My family has given me the green light.” The Times also noted that Webb had “battled diabetes for decades,” had undergone quadruple bypass surgery in 1999 and has since struggled with congestive heart failure. His son Lee Ruiz posted on Facebook that his father was also suffering from dementia. “This wasn’t an easy decision for him to make,” the younger Ruiz wrote, “and obviously no one wants to lose him, but there’s only so much one person can endure.”
On Tuesday afternoon, NewsRadio WFLA released a statement that reads, “We are sad to share the news that Tedd Webb has passed away. Tedd was an important part of NewsRadio WFLA and the Tampa Bay community for many years. He will be deeply missed and our thoughts & prayers are with his family. Wednesday morning’s AM Tampa Bay program (5am-9am) will honor Tedd’s life and legacy. We invite listeners to participate and share their favorite memories throughout the morning. As we move forward, we will do our best to follow Tedd’s advice to always ‘live it up!'”
In a post on Webb’s Facebook page, his family noted, “We’re finalizing plans for times and places to pay tribute, and will announce those plans here when we are ready. We ask for continued privacy for our family.”
• And, as always, thank you to “Radio’s Best Friend,” the intrepid Art Vuolo, who painstakingly assembled a nice video tribute to Tedd Webb (below).
