‘Today Show’: Al Roker Posts Mother’s Day Tributes to Wife Deborah Roberts and His Mom
Today Show star Al Roker doesn’t hold back when it comes to giving well-earned praise. Taking to Instagram on Mother’s Day, the NBC weather man honored his wife, ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts, as well as his late mom in a series of photos and heartfelt words.
Al Roker calls Deborah Roberts an ‘amazing mom’
Roker and Roberts tied the knot in 1995. Now with three grown kids — Courtney, 34 (from Roker’s previous marriage), Leila, 22, and Nick, 18 — the couple have shared a plethora of parenting moments over their 25+ years of marriage. The Today Show star expressed his gratitude for his wife and partner on Instagram in celebration of Mother’s Day.
“A very #happymothersday to @debrobertsabc who besides being a #journalist, #friend, #wife, #sister, #aunt and so much more, she is an amazing #mom and we are so fortunate to have her,” he captioned the post, which included a carousel of Roker family pictures.
Roberts is also known to give a sweet shoutout on social media to her spouse. For their silver anniversary in September 2020, she posted a picture of their wedding day along with a love letter to Roker.
“Dear Sweet Hubby, I remember this magical moment of pure joy (almost) like it was yesterday,” Roberts wrote. “It couldn’t possibly have been 25 years ago. Could it?? 25 years of love, laughter, peaks, valleys, discovery, bewilderment , bliss, struggle and all that this journey offers. … Today I celebrate all that love has allowed. Happy Anniversary my sweet, kind, generous, hilarious and real soulmate.”
‘Today Show’ star posted a remembrance of his mother
Roker is the middle child of older sister Alisa and younger brother Chris. The NBC star often shares stories of his loving and hard-working parents, commending them for how they raised him and his siblings. For Mother’s Day, Roker posted a picture of his mom, Isabel, who died at the age of 73.
“A very #happymothersday to Isabel Roker,” he wrote on the post, which included a series of photos of Isabel with Roker’s father, Albert, and the whole Roker family. “A wonderful Mom who sacrificed for, loved, disciplined, taught and was a terrific example for her kids and grandkids. You are missed.”
The Today Show co-host frequently credits his parents for helping him become a better father to his own kids.
“One of the best lessons I learned from my dad was that each child is an individual,” Roker told Your Teen of his father, who was a New York City bus driver. “I was not very athletic, I was not particularly outgoing — I really loved cartoons and animation. That’s how he connected with me. My dad was very athletic, but he didn’t force me to be an athlete because that’s not who I was. He connected with me on what excited me. That’s how I learned to connect with my kids.”
Al Roker’s mom shared some marital advice
In their book Been There, Done That: Family Wisdom For Modern Times, Roker and Roberts recalled some words of wisdom his mother shared with them before they tied the knot.
“At our wedding rehearsal dinner, Al’s mom, Isabel, gave me some unsolicited advice that I still remember clearly and have held dear,” Roberts explained. “She looked us both dead in the eyes and in a serious tone said, ‘Communication is the secret to a long marriage. Talk… talk… talk… about everything. Marriage isn’t easy, but if you talk you will avoid a lot of problems.’”
Though the couple admitted they quickly put the advice on the back burner, Roberts came to realize the significance of her mother-in-law’s counsel.
“As Isabel said, talking to each other would help us avoid a lot of our troubles,” Roberts said. “If your relationship is anything like ours, it’s an ever-changing work in progress that will require some fine-tuning along the way, and that’s a good thing.”
