Jon Burnett, beloved former KDKA-TV personality, dies at age 71
KDKA-TV is sad to report that Jon died of complications from suspected CTE at age 71. He leaves behind an incredible legacy.
Mary Robb Jackson said it best: "People loved Jon." His former KDKA-TV coworkers remembered him as a genuine, caring person who was the same on screen as off. Paul Martino said Jon "was a man who was made to be on television."
"People would always ask, 'Is Jon Burnett as nice as he seems on TV?' and the answer is yes," said former Pittsburgh Today Live producer Jilly Neely.
Pittsburgh first met Jon Burnett in 1982 when KDKA-TV hired him as the new co-host of Evening Magazine.
"We traveled around the world together. Jon used to say we take people around the world and around the corner," said Evening Magazine co-host Liz Miles.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, viewers instantly fell in love with Jon's Southern charm.
"There's something that comes through that screen and you really can't fool it, and I think Jon was just a natural," said Evening Magazine co-host Mary Robb Jackson.
"I think of Jon as just being ready for anything. Tom Cruise and Jon Burnett did all their own stunts and there was nothing that intimidated him," Miles said.
In 1985, Jon also began co-hosting Pittsburgh 2Day.
"It was just like having your brother right there," said Pittsburgh 2Day co-host Patrice King Brown. "I mean somebody you could really tease, somebody who would tease you mercilessly as well as the whole staff, he did that. I never had so much fun as I did the years I worked with Jon Burnett."
In the early 90s, when both Evening Magazine and Pittsburgh 2Day ended, Jon returned to his roots as a weather forecaster. Jon had done weather at his previous jobs in TV before coming to KDKA , so it wasn't a huge stretch, but it also wasn't automatically easy for him.
"But, you know, he took that challenge on with the same energy and that's how he resonated with people because he was kinda our guy," said KDKA NewsRadio's Larry Richert.
For nearly 30 years, Jon was a trusted member of the KDKA weather team.
"When you saw Jon on TV, you would immediately say, 'that's a guy I wouldn't mind having in my living room live and in person,'" said former KDKA meteorologist Dennis Bowman.
Jon took the weather seriously but he never took himself too seriously. Retired KDKA-TV news anchors agree. Paul Martino said Jon was unpredictable, and Stacy Smith said, "It was always a thrill in a way to throw it over to him because you didn't know what for sure Jon was going to say."
Ron Klink said Jon was just as comfortable on air as he was off-air and Brenda Waters said he was "real."
"'Yes this is the way I am, this is how I act, this is what I say, this is what I do.' This is Jon. He was real and I think people always appreciated that," Waters said.
Jon was Kristine Sorensen's co-host on Pittsburgh Today Live for 11 years, and there was never a dull moment.
"You never knew what you were going to get and that was a lot of his charm. He was so spontaneous and loving and fun," Jill Neely said.
Jon retired in 2019 and over the last few years dealt with serious health issues, including memory loss and other neurological problems. His doctors eventually diagnosed him with suspected CTE, likely caused by his years of playing football starting as a young child through college, at the University of Tennessee.
In early 2024, Jon and his family made the decision to participate in the National Sports Brain Bank at the University of Pittsburgh, which is dedicated to research and treatment of brain disorders and CTE.
"If I can help anybody on this road, who is on this road or will be on this road in the years ahead, I feel better about being able to do that and being able to learn from my experiences," he told Sorensen last year.
Jon shared his story publicly in the hope of getting others to participate, but even he couldn't have imagined the response.
Since KDKA-TV's story aired, the number of people signed up to be part of the research at the National Sports Brain Bank more than doubled, thanks to Jon. It's a fitting final chapter for a man whose life was defined by helping others.
Former KDKA-TV personalities remember Jon
Larry Richert: "You never know what's gonna happen in life and Jon lived it to the fullest."
Jill Neely: "He had the biggest heart and he truly loved people."
Ron Klink: "There's the old saying: If you want a friend, be a friend. And that's how Jon had so many friends. He was a friend to people."
Dennis Bowman: "He wanted to share himself with people. He wanted you to know him and he wanted to know you."
Stacy Smith: "He knew how to communicate to that camera lens and make you feel like he was one of your best friends."
Brenda Waters: "If you were down, Jon would bring you up. You'd forget about your problems. He had that magnetic personality and that doesn't come along often."
Paul Martino: "I know viewers miss him and I sure as heck miss him."
Mary Robb Jackson: "He was a bright light in the world. And boy, when a bright light goes out, you know it. And that was Jon."
Liz Miles: "He was my partner, one of the most significant people in my life."
Patrice King Brown: "My TV brother. I will love him forever."
When he retired in 2019, Jon called KDKA-TV his second family.
"I don't think I deserved it. I don't think I've been talented enough to be what I've been, where I've been, but I'm here and I've enjoyed every minute of the ride," Burnett said then.
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