Who is Byron Barnett’s wife? All about legendary Boston reporter as he dies

Byron Barnett, the legendary longtime Boston’s 7 News reporter, has passed away at the age of 69 after his battle with cancer. The news was announced on Monday, August 4, 2025.

Barnett’s wife, Kathleen, and his family confirmed his death in a statement released by WHDH. They wrote,

“Throughout his four-decade career, Byron cherished the privilege of telling the stories of New Englanders who welcomed him into their lives. After facing cancer with unwavering courage, Byron passed away peacefully on Sunday, surrounded by his loving family.”

According to a report in Boston.com, Barnett was hired by WHDH in 1983. Since then he has covered some of the biggest stories across the world. Some of which include his interview with Muhammad Ali and the coverage of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986.

Byron Barnett’s wife, Kathleen, played a major role in his cancer battle. She stood beside him like a pillar to offer her courage and support during this difficult time. The pair got married in 1985, and they celebrated their 35th marriage anniversary in 2020, as per Barnett’s Facebook post. He has shared several posts on social media about him and his wife.

Continue to read more.

All about Byron Barnett’s life and family

Byron Barnett was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, per his Facebook bio. He went to Roosevelt Senior High School. He later studied at Gustavus Adolphus College from 1973 till 1974. He then attended the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, graduating in 1977.

He joined KSTP TV in June 1977. After working for five years with the same organization, he joined WHDH TV in 1983, where he worked for over 25 years, per his LinkedIn profile.

Barnett covered a wide range of stories in his career, which ranged from crime stories to human interest features to political campaigns.

Among these stories he covered some of the major ones, including the 1984 riots in Lawrence, the freeing of American hostages from a hijacked TWA flight in Lebanon in 1985, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that claimed the lives of New Hampshire school teacher Christa McAuliffe and six other astronauts in 1986, and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, as described on his profile on the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Byron Barnett has shared multiple photographs with his wife, Kathleen, on his Facebook page, where the couple are seen celebrating special moments like their wedding anniversary. On his 35th wedding anniversary, he shared a post with her and wrote,

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“Kathleen and I had a great day today on Martha’s Vineyard (South Beach) celebrating our 35th anniversary. I’m more in love with Kathleen (Kathie in Minneapolis) than anytime ever in my life. I’m so grateful she has been my partner in our journey through life.”

Barnett lost his mother, Ella Mae Moore, in February 2003. She was 98. In an emotional tribute to her on his Facebook, he described her as "the best mom ever.” He was the only child and she raised him as a single mother in South Minneapolis. He said that his mother taught him important lessons of life: “hard work, discipline, perseverance, kindness, respect, love, and more.”

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