Obituary for Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert, 70, of Chicago, Illinois, died April 4, 2013, after a long battle with cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands.

Born in Urbana, Illinois on June 18, 1942, he was the only child of the late Walter and Annabel Ebert.

Ebert’s interest in journalism began when he was a student at Urbana High School, where he was a sports writer for the school newspaper. Ebert started talking classes at the University of Illinois as an early entrance student, completing his high school courses while also starting to take university courses. While at the university, he wrote as a reporter for the school paper, “Daily Illni”. One of the first movie reviews he did was for the university paper about “La Dolce Vita”, published in 1961. By senior year, he served as the newspaper’s editor. Through out his time at school, starting at the age of 15, he was continuously working for “The News-Gazette” in Champaign, Illinois. 

After graduating college in 1964, studied English as a master’s student. During this time, he attended the University of Cape Town on a Rotary Fellowship. He then was accepted as a Ph.D. scholar at the University of Chicago. While working on this doctorate, he applied to newspapers in the Chicago area. He was hired by Jim Hoge of the “Chicago Sun-Times” as a reporter and feature writer in 1966. It was not until the current movie critic left the paper that he received the beat. After working under the load of student and newspaper writer, he left the University of Chicago and focused his energies on movie reviews.

By 1970, he had written a book and co-wrote a number of screen plays, including the Sex Pistols movie “Who Killed Bambi”. He worked for the University of Chicago as a guest lecturer and taught about films.

In 1975, he received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Ebert also began hosting a weekly film review television show called “Sneak Previews” that same year, which was produced by the Chicago public broadcasting station WTTW. Three years later, PBS picked up the show for national distribution.  This show, though changing names throughout the years, lasted 34 years.

In early 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, which was successfully removed. He had surgery in 2003 for cancer in his salivary gland, which was followed by radiation treatment. In 2006, he underwent surgery to remove cancerous tissue in his jaw, but due to complications, lost the ability to speak.  

He became an honorary member life member of the Directors Guild of America. His final review for the “Chicago Sun-Times” was for the film “To the Wonder”, which he gave 3.5 out of 4 stars. It was published in April of 2013. However, throughout the year of 2013, previously unpublished reviews came out posthumously as the movies he has written about came out. 

Ebert leaves his wife, Charlie “Chaz” Hamelsmith, of 21 years. There was a private memorial vigil on April 7, 2013 with an open casket at the chapel of Graceland Cemetery. The funeral was held on April 8, 2013 at Chicago’s Holy Name Cathedral. A bronze statue was erected in his honor in Champaign, Illinois  at the Virginia Theatre in 2014.

Memorial contribution can be made to the non-profit group headed by Ebert’s wife, the Robert Ebert Foundation.

By Lauren McArdle