Watch CBS News

Roger Ebert's Wife Reflects On His Passing One Year Later

(CBS) -- It's hard to believe, but it's been a year since Chicago lost one of its most famous residents.

Renowned movie critic Roger Ebert died 12 months ago after a long battle with cancer

His wife, Chaz Ebert, sat down with CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker to talk about how she's keeping her husband's memory alive.

She showed off Ebert's private DVD collection and his old-fashioned home movie theater, complete with velvet-covered seats.

His chair has been empty for a year. His wife, Chaz, still struggles with the loss.

"I'm crying not because I miss him but because I loved him so much," she says. "Roger was a character who was larger than life."

Roger was several characters: a critic for the Sun-Times; a prolific author; playwright and a TV star.

He was many other things: a grandfather, philanthropist, teacher, mentor, and, Chaz notes the author of the cult classic "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls."

Even after cancer forced him to speak only through a computer, Ebert continued to work. A year before his death, he created rogerebert.com. Chaz now runs the website, which features reviews and features about film.

Ebert's foundation continues to give out awards, honors and scholarships. Chaz keeps Ebert's mission and memory alive.

"The outpouring of emotions of people is so unbelievable," she says. "It's beautiful."

The 16th annual Roger Ebert Film Festival is April 23-27 in downstate Champaign.

There is also a documentary on Roger called "Life Itself," which will be in theaters this summer.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.