Who was Tucker Carlson’s father Richard Warner Carlson? All about award-winning journalist as he dies at 84

Richard Warner Carlson, the award-winning journalist who served as the director of the Voice of America under the Ronald Reagan administration, passed away on March 24 at his residence in Florida. His sons, Tucker and Buckley Carlson released an obituary, posted by them on their social media handles. The obituary announced:

“Richard Warner Carlson died at 84 on March 24, 2025 at home in Boca Grande, Florida after six weeks of illness. He refused all painkillers to the end and left this world with dignity and clarity, holding the hands of his children with his dogs at his feet.”

Richard Warner Carlson is survived by his two sons, one of whom is Tucker Carlson, a prominent political commentator. Tucker Carlson is known for his current affairs talk show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, which aired on Fox News from 2016 to 2023.

About Richard Warner Carlson’s first wife

Both Tucker Carlson and his brother Buckley were born to Lisa McNear Lombardi, whom Richard Carlson married in the late 1960s. The couple divorced after nine years of marriage in 1976. At the time, Tucker Carlson was only six years old.

According to a report by The San Francisco Standard, Lombardi had settled in France after her divorce. The same report mentions that she never met her children after her divorce with Richard Carlson, who raised his sons by himself before remarrying in 1979.

The obituary by Carlson’s sons reminiscenced of the times when Carlson would take them along with him to field trips that he would have to take as part of his job as a journalist.

According to a report by The New York Times, Lombardi had lost the custody of her sons after her divorce. As per Casetext, Lisa Lombardi had disinherited her two sons from her will after she died in 2011, a move which was challenged by Tucker and Buckley. Lisa Lombardi belonged to an extremely wealthy family of landowners and grain exporters. She was an artist, who was well-known within the gallery circuit of Los Angeles according to The San Francisco Standard.

After his divorce, Richard Warner Carlson moved to San Diego with his two sons.

Richard Warner Carlson’s second marriage to Patrica Swanson

In 1979, three years after his divorce with his first wife, Richard Warner Carlson married Patricia Swanson, who was Carlson’s neighbor when he was residing in La Jalla, San Diego. Patrica Swanson was an heiress of a reputed American frozen food company.

Swanson’s marriage to Carlson was her third marriage.

Carlson and Swanson would remain married for 44 years, till Swanson’s death around 16 months ago. Carlson deeply missed his wife, as per the obituary released by his sons. The obituary stated:

“In 1979, he married the love of his life, Patricia Swanson. They were together for 44 years, all of them happy. She died sixteen months before he did and he mourned her every day.”

According to a report by Daily Mail, Swanson had gained the respect of Carlson’s children. In fact, both Tucker and Buckley would take up her family name, Swanson, as their middle name. Swanson had also legally adopted Carlson’s sons.

Richard Warner Carlson, as per the obituary, was regularly in touch with his sons and would meet them every week.