“Good Morning America” used part of its broadcast on Thursday, September 17, 2026, to honor Judd Parson, an editor who had been with the ABC morning program for nearly 25 years.
The anchors sat shoulder to shoulder on the studio couch to deliver the tribute together: George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, Rebecca Jarvis, Lara Spencer, Sam Champion and Ginger Zee.
“He had a warm smile, easy sense of humor, and he loved to help people,” “Good Morning America” co-anchor George Stephanopoulos said.
Co-host Michael Strahan turned to the mark Parson had left on the people who worked alongside him. “Judd leaves a lasting legacy with the countless GMA producers and editors he mentored over the years,” he said.
Parson worked overnights, the stretch of hours when a morning show is quietly built before the country wakes up. He cut thousands of stories, and the producers and editors he trained went on to run segments of their own. Colleagues described him as beloved.
The broadcast did not give his age, and no cause of death has been reported. Parson is survived by three children and five grandchildren.
It is the second such loss the program has marked in a matter of weeks. Francisco Antonio “Fran” Saldaña, a GMA engineer, died on August 29 at 70, and the show ended its September 3 broadcast with a tribute to him.
Photographs of Saldaña filled the screen as ABC News correspondent Rebecca Jarvis said, “Before we go today, we want to celebrate Francisco Saldaña, a beloved member of the GMA family,” adding that “Fran had an extraordinary career.” Saldaña began that career in the Dominican Republic, where he covered the Nicaraguan revolution, before moving to the United States.
“He did everything from launching cable systems to teaching college before coming to ABC and becoming a treasured member of the GMA engineering team,” anchor Whit Johnson said. “We’ll remember him for his curiosity, love of travel and gardening, and his humor. He will be missed.”
ABC News correspondent Gio Benitez had the last word on that tribute: “We will miss him.”