Mexican radio and television presenter and host Talina Fernández, mother of the late actress and singer Mariana Levy, died Wednesday at age 78 in Mexico City due to health complications, relatives said.
Fernández's son, Juan Jorge Coco Levy, told the media, outside the hospital where he died, that his mother was hospitalized in an emergency and that he spent his last days "with the people he loved, thinking of love and affection for his family" and confirmed that he suffered from leukemia.
"It was a terrible, fast, difficult disease. It was hard. He started to feel weak," Levy said.
"My boss had an extraordinary sense of humor," her son said, "she was laughing all day."
Mexican television host Talina Fernández while speaking to the press in Mexico City in November 2006.David de la Paz / EFE
He announced the death of Colosio
Fernández, was known for having been a popular presenter on Mexican television and for her driving style, especially in programs of the Televisa network, which earned her the nickname La dama del buen decir.
One of the moments that marked his career was on March 23, 1994 when he announced the death of the then presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), in the newscast hosted by the late Mexican journalist Jacobo Zabludovsky.
"Mr. Colosio has died... but it's unofficial, we're out of the hallway, there hasn't been an official statement, but a doctor who left in a hurry told me he was gone," Fernandez said.
"Please come into the operating room! Tell the man who is facing the security measures that Mexicans are eager to know what happens, "demanded the television presenter to which she replied that she could not. Finally, the office of the Presidency confirmed to Zabludovsky the death of the candidate after receiving a bullet in Lomas Taurinas, Tijuana.
"Thank you for so much"
On social networks, Fernández's colleagues, especially from the Televisa network, his home for many years, lamented his death.
"He stopped suffering. It hurt a lot," said José Manuel Fernández, his last partner.
"Thank you for so much. The bravest and wisest woman in my life," her granddaughter Paula Levy wrote.
This was the last interview of Talina Fernández for Telemundo
June 29, 202304:39
"So kind, so cordial, so cute. That was transmitted through the television cameras," Silvia, a follower of the presenter, described her in an interview with Noticias Telemundo. "He was always a smart, prepared person," said another follower.
The National Association of Interpreters (ANDI) mourned his death. "To his family and friends we send our deepest condolences," the organization wrote on its social networks.
Fernández, whose full name was Catalina María del Sagrado Corazón Fernández, debuted in front of the cameras in 1970. Since then, her versatility placed her in various projects. In October 2022 he worked on the MasterChef Celebrity program.
Between disappointment and love: This was Talina Fernández's experience with her husbands
June 29, 202301:38
The host, born in 1944 in Mexico City, adapted in recent years to the new times and had her own YouTube channel, where she published interviews and told anecdotes of her personal life.
He had three children: Juan Jorge, Patricio and Mariana, who died of cardiac arrest in 2005. Despite this loss, Fernández came out ahead with his unique character.
Fernandez will be laid to rest at a simple funeral at her home, her family said. Reports indicate that his remains will be cremated.
With information from Efe, El Universal.