According to NBC News station WPTV, Dick Farrel, a longtime right-wing radio personality in Florida and anchor on Newsmax TV, died on Wednesday of complications with Covid-19.
Farrel was a prominent and outspoken opponent of the coronavirus vaccination, which he labeled “bogus” and blogged about on social media. He also slammed people like Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom he referred to as a “lying freak.”
Friends claimed Farrel’s attitude on the vaccine and the virus altered when he contracted Covid, according to WPTV.
Farrel Austin Levitt, better known as Farrel, was born in New York City on August 1, 1956. According to his obituary, Farrel graduated from Queens College and went on to work in radio.
He began his career on Long Island before landing a job on WVIP FM in Westchester, New York’s morning program. According to his obituary, he then moved to West Palm Beach and worked for a variety of South Florida radio stations, including WIOD in Miami, WPBR in Palm Beach, WJUP FM in Jupiter, and WFLN in Arcadia.
According to his obituary, he also worked as an anchor for Newsmax TV.
“COVID took one of my best friends! RIP Dick Farrel. He is the reason I took the shot. He texted me and told me to ‘Get it!’ He told me this virus is no joke and he said, ‘I wish I had gotten it!'” wrote Amy Leigh Hair, a friend of Farrel’s, on Facebook.
