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She was survived by her three sons—Gerry and Gil (born during her first marriage to
Gerardo "Grau" Roses), and Martin (who was born during her marriage to her second husband, Mervyn Simpson) - as well as four grandchildren. Benitez was predeceased by her third husband, Donald McCollum, the founder of
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by then-President
Ferdinand Marcos in 1972, resulting, among other things, in the cancellation of her television shows. With her shows cancelled, Benitez decided to permanently remain in the United States, rather than returning to the Philippines under Marcos. She soon joined the
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98:, from 1959–65. In a 2013 interview, Benitez recalled the show's popularity, "Mga estudyante, they used to come in. This was their noon break. It became so big and so popular that it became a big, live amateur show."
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Benitez-McCollum, who lived in New York, contracted COVID-19 at a rehabilitation center. She was admitted to the hospital, where she tested positive for coronavirus. Leila
Benitez-McCollum died from
83:(CBN). According to the book, "Kapitan: Geny Lopez and the Making of ABS-CBN", Benitez was the first host to be chosen for the television show, which became "the biggest daytime program of its era".
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22:(October 5, 1930 – April 9, 2020) was a Filipino-born American radio and television host, presenter, journalist and broadcaster.
79:, which began as a radio show in the late 1950s before transitioning to a popular television show on what was then called the
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from the 1950s to the early 1970s due to a string of successful radio and television shows. She was best known for co-hosting
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the first television marketing research company in the United States. They had been married for 38 years before his death.
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In 2003, Benitez-McCollum made her final visit to the
Philippines, where she was honored by her former employer,
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She was the second major
Filipino entertainment figure to die from COVID-19, following the passing of actor
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Benitez, who was nicknamed as the "first lady of
Philippine television", became a household name in the
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329:"Legendary radio and TV personality Leila Benitez-McCollum dies of COVID-19 complications"
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Benitez, who became a household name across the country, co-hosted the show alongside
290:"Leila Benitez, original 'Student Canteen' host, dies due to COVID-19 complications"
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244:"TV, radio icon Leila Benitez-McCollum dies of COVID-19 complications in New York"
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broadcasts. She also raised her children in the United States.
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Georgetown
University College of Arts & Sciences alumni
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Filipino-American television and radio host (1930–2020)
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Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state)
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327:Garcia, Cara Emmeline (2020-04-10).
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199:Garcia, Cara Emmeline (2020-04-10).
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366:Concepcion, Pocholo (2020-04-09).
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169:COVID-19 pandemic in New York City
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425:Filipino television personalities
242:Silvestre, Edmund (2020-04-09).
111:The Leila Benitez Celebrity Hour
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81:Chronicle Broadcasting Network
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20:Leila Benitez-McCollum
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410:2020 deaths
405:1930 births
334:GMA Network
123:Neil Sedaka
119:Ann-Margret
49:Quezon City
27:Philippines
399:Categories
384:2020-04-13
345:2020-04-12
306:2020-04-12
260:2020-04-12
207:2020-04-15
186:References
182:in March.
103:talk shows
57:psychology
161:Manhattan
43:Biography
378:Archived
339:Archived
300:Archived
153:COVID-19
146:ABS-CBN
121:, and
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