Huell Howser, A Favorite Public TV Personality, Dies At 67

Huell Howser, a fixture of public television in California, has died at 67. Howser hosted several public television programs, the most popular being California's Gold, which celebrated the state's unique stories and natural beauty.

Howser died Sunday night of natural causes, reports the Long Island Press Telegram, citing a KCET representative who also says his death was "a complete surprise."

A native of Gallatin, Tenn., who moved to Los Angeles in 1981, Howser never discarded his Southern drawl — and he never lost his enthusiasm for finding the stories hidden in dimestores, historical sites, and state parks that many of his viewers found infectious.

Here's how Greg Braxton of The Los Angeles Times describes him:

"His upbeat boosterism accompanied an appearance that was simultaneously off-kilter and yet somehow cool with a hint of retro — a thick, square mane of white hair, sunglasses, shirts that showed off a drill sergeant's build and huge biceps, and expressions that ranged from pleasantness to jaw-dropping wonder with some of his discoveries. Often, he wore shorts."

As Braxton notes, Howser's perpetually buoyant spirit and folksy manner stretched beyond his public TV work; he inspired several caricatures of himself, including at least one that appeared on The Simpsons.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – For the record, the first hug from AJ McCarron went to his dad; the second to his mom.

Then a bunch to other assorted family got in for high fives and pats on the back as McCarron, standing on an electrical box, reached up and into the front row of Sun Life Stadium where Alabama fans wildly celebrated the Crimson Tide's 42-14 destruction of Notre Dame for a second consecutive BCS title behind their star quarterback.
It was then, finally, when McCarron reached over and kissed his girlfriend, Katherine Webb, the reigning Miss Alabama and a young lady that, due to ESPN repeatedly flashing to her during the game broadcast, is America's newest celebrity.
So let it be known, here on a charmed night in the charmed life of AJ McCarron, it was still family first. Webb just had to wait.

"That means he's a family guy, a mama's boy," Webb said with a laugh to Yahoo! Sports. "And I'm totally good with that. It's that personality that attracted me to him in the first place. It was never about his status on the team."
Who knows where the pair's relationship goes, but if its stands the test of time January 7, 2013 will go down as a night of all nights for them.