Who was Lou Dobbs married to? All about his wife and children as veteran news anchor dies aged 78

Veteran news anchor, TV host, author, and conservative political commentator Lou Dobbs passed away on Thursday, July 18 at the age of 78. The news was first shared on his official X handle.

"It's with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of 'the great Lou Dobbs.' Lous was a fighter till the very end – fighting for what mattered to him the most. God, his family, and the country. Lou's legacy will forever live on as a patriot and a great American," the statement read.

The post further asked for privacy and prayers for the departed’s friends and family, including his wife Debi, their children, and grandkids. The cause of his death remains undisclosed.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump also took to Truth Social to share the news of Dobbs’ demise and shared his tribute for his “friend, and truly incredible journalist, reporter, and talent.”

"He understood the World, and what was ‘happening’, better than others. Lou was unique in so many ways and loved our Country. Our warmest condolences to his wonderful wife, Debi, and family. He will be greatly missed," Trump wrote.

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In brief, exploring Lou Dobbs’ family life

Lou Dobbs was married to Debi Lee Roth-Segura, a former sports anchor associated with CNN. They tied the knot in 1982 and then raised four kids together including Hilary, Heather, Jason, and Buffie.

Before settling down with Debi, Lou Dobbs was also married to his first wife and high school sweetheart Kathy Wheeler from 1967 to 1981 with whom he shared two children, Chance and Mackenzie.

Born in Childress County, Texas in 1945 and later raised in Rupert, Idaho, Louis Carl Dobbs was the son of Frank Dobbs and Lydia Mae Henson. While his father was a businessman and co-owned a propane firm (which later failed), his mother was a bookkeeper. Throughout his life, Dobbs talked about his middle-class upbringing.

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Looking at Lou Dobbs’ career at a glance

Lou Dobbs attended Minico High School in Idaho and later applied and got accepted into both the University of Idaho and the Idaho State University. However, he was encouraged by his teachers and friends to apply to Harvard University.

Eventually, he was accepted into their undergraduate program, and in 1967 Dobbs graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics. Following this, he tried out several jobs as a federal anti-poverty program manager to cash-management specialist.

However, he found his forte in journalism and soon became a reporter for KBLU in Arizona. In the mid-1970s, Dobbs became a TV anchor for a local Phoenix news channel before joining KING-TV in Seattle.

In 1980, he joined CNN as its chief business correspondent and host of the business news show Moneyline which turned his career around. Dobbs worked in several posts at the media company for nearly three decades. Later, he also served as a conservative anchor/ host for Fox News until he was fired in 2021.

He was well-known for his show Lou Dobbs Tonight from 2003 to 2009 on CNN and later between 2011 to 2021 on Fox Business Network. Until his demise, Dobbs was also the host of the syndicated radio show The Great America Show which was broadcast on his website as well as iHeartRadio.

Dobbs was the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2005 and the founder of an astronomical news website Space.com.