ENTERTAINMENT

Beloved TV Icon Peter Napolitano Dies at 80

 

Peter Napolitano, the cherished television personality best known as Produce Pete, has died at the age of 80. The beloved figure passed away on January 26, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, community connection and decades of healthy eating education.

For more than three decades Napolitano appeared on WNBC New York’s Weekend Today in New York, where viewers tuned in every Saturday morning to hear his friendly tips on choosing and preparing fruits and vegetables and learn simple cooking advice that became part of many families’ routines.

NBC New York described him as a longtime fixture of weekend breakfast television and praised his kindness, passion and dedication to his work. Tributes from viewers poured in online after news of his death with many remembering his familiar face, signature warmth and encouraging motto “If you eat right, you’re going to live right.”

Napolitano’s connection to produce began early in life growing up in Bergenfield, New Jersey where his family ran a local market. His background in the produce business informed his television work and helped endear him to generations of viewers across the Tri‑State area.

He is survived by his wife Bette, whom he met as a teenager, their two children and seven grandchildren. The cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed

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