“Good Morning America” set aside part of its Thursday, September 17, 2026, broadcast to remember Judd Parson, an editor who had worked on the ABC morning program for nearly 25 years.
The anchors delivered the tribute together, sitting side by side on the studio couch — George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan, Rebecca Jarvis, Lara Spencer, Sam Champion and Ginger Zee.
“He had a warm smile, easy sense of humor, and he loved to help people,” Stephanopoulos said.
Strahan turned to the mark Parson had left on the people who worked alongside him. “Judd leaves a lasting legacy with the countless GMA producers and editors he mentored over the years,” he said.
Parson spent those years on the overnight shift, the hours in which a morning show is quietly assembled before the country wakes up. He cut thousands of stories and trained a long line of producers and editors who went on to run segments of their own. Colleagues described him as beloved.
His age was not given on air, and no cause of death has been reported. He is survived by three children and five grandchildren.
It is the second loss the program has marked in a matter of weeks. On September 3, the show closed its broadcast with a tribute to Francisco Antonio “Fran” Saldaña, a GMA engineer who died on August 29 at 70.
“Before we go today, we want to celebrate Francisco Saldaña, a beloved member of the GMA family,” Rebecca Jarvis said as photographs of him appeared on screen, adding that “Fran had an extraordinary career.” Saldaña began that career in the Dominican Republic, where he covered the Nicaraguan revolution, before moving to the United States.
“He did everything from launching cable systems to teaching college before coming to ABC and becoming a treasured member of the GMA engineering team,” anchor Whit Johnson said. “We’ll remember him for his curiosity, love of travel and gardening, and his humor. He will be missed.”
Gio Benitez closed that tribute simply: “We will miss him.”