Photo: Getty Images North America
Wheel of Fortune hostess Vanna White announced the death of her father, Herbert White Jr., in a heartbreaking post on her verified social media account last week.
"It is with great sadness that I tell you my 96 year old dad passed away peacefully this morning," White posted alongside a photo of herself and her father. "He lived a full and happy life and will be remembered as one of the kindest and most wonderful human beings of North Myrtle Beach. I love you so much dad. RIP #love #bestdadever."
Wheel of Fortune's verified Twitter account quote-tweeted White's post with, ".@TheVannaWhite, we are thinking of you and your family during this difficult time. We love you. - Your Wheel of Fortune family," shortly after the initial post was shared.
Maggie Sajak, the daughter of longtime co-host Pat Sajak, commented, "I am so very sorry for your loss. My whole family is thinking of you," on White's Instagram post.
Daily Mail reports the longtime Wheel hostess was raised by Herbert White Jr. after her mother, Joan, and her biological father, Miguel Angel Rosich, separated when she was an infant.
Vanna took Herbert's last name before initially achieving superstardom as the iconic Wheel of Fortune hostess in 1982, Grand Strand magazine reports.
Herbert White Jr. is listed as a "successful real estate agent broker/owner of White's Realty" on his daughter's IMDB page.