Tom Magliozzi's Alzheimer's disease complications caused his death at 77 on Monday.
Tom Magliozzi had Alzheimer's-related complications that took a toll in the "Car Talk" show host's life in Nov. 3, Monday, National Public Radio reported.
Magliozzi and his brother, Ray became famous in the National Public Radio (NPR) show "Car Talk" as Click (Tom) and Clack (Ray). Tom has been hosting the show since it started in 1987 and became a popular radio show host since then. The show also won a Peabody Award in 1992.
The radio show featured exchange of jokes and advices to listeners who called in about their car troubles. The show host retired in 2012 and "Car Talk" did re-runs while Tom Magliozzi's Alzheimer's battle began.
Doug Berman, longtime producer of the radio show, recalls Magliozzi, "His laugh is the working definition of infectious laughter."
"He was just kind of a magnet," Berman added.
Being in radio was an accident for the brothers when the local public radio, WBUR, was putting together a group of mechanics for a talk show. The station like what Tom did and was asked to come back after a week. In his next visit, he brought Ray with him, and the rest was history. Listeners loved their humor, passion and expertise.
For almost three years, Tom Magliozzi's Alzheimer's disease battle gained complications that eventually took his life. He is survived by his first and second wives, three children, five grandchildren and his close companion during the recent years, Sylvia Soderberg.
Tom Magliozzi's Alzheimer's have been a battle close to the family that they asked fans to make donations in his memory in their local NPR station or the Alzheimer's association.
