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Oprah is mourning the death of her dad, Vernon Winfrey, who has passed away after battling cancer.
One of Vernon’s longtime employees confirmed to TMZ that he died Friday night in East Nashville, TN. A local city councilman first broke the news.
In what now seems to be a prescient move, Oprah had just been in town last weekend to celebrate her father.
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She surprised him by organizing a Vernon Winfrey appreciation day on July 4 … giving the community a chance to thank Vernon for his service as a former city councilman and longtime local businessman.
As Oprah put it, “My father is ill, so we wanted to be able to have all of his friends come and celebrate him while he’s able to receive the joy. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Vernon was seated, appropriately, in a barber chair in the middle of the backyard barbecue … as his friends and family celebrated him.
He had owned and operated Winfrey Barber & Beauty Shop for more than 50 years — and was beloved by the community. One of his employees told us, “[Vernon] would give you the shirt off his back.”
Vernon’s daughter wasn’t shy about how proud she was of him, and she’s celebrated his accomplishments for a long time.
Back when she had her daily talk show, Oprah took her cameras back for a visit with her dad in his establishment.
Leading up to Monday’s celebration, it was obvious how excited she was about planning the event.
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Oprah said she was “getting back to my Nashville roots” as she posted several videos and photos with family members prepping for the BBQ.
You might recall … her mother, Vernita Lee, passed away back in 2018 at the age of 83.
Speaking of her father earlier this week, Oprah said she wanted to make sure to give him his flowers while he was still here, and she couldn’t have timed it any better.
Vernon was 88.
RIP