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Brenda Buttner, Fox News Host Dies After Cancer Battle

By Tito Ojo-Medubi
Published on: 19:51 PST, Feb 20, 2017

Brenda Buttner, host of Bulls & Bears on Fox News has died at 55. The news network confirmed her passing to People magazine. Buttner’s colleague Neil Cavuto shared an emotional tribute on his show, describing the mother of two daughters as a woman of depth, who poured all her heart into her business journalism.

“She took stock of life much more than any stock in life. It’s what separated her from everyone else in this business…Brenda had depth…Brenda Buttner made us watch a business show with heart. Her heart. Her spirit. She democratized dollars and just made sense…Business journalism is never going to be the same…Brenda Buttner, gone way too soon at 55.”

The 1983 Harvard graduate had been battling breast cancer since 2015. Her family had been bracing themselves for the inevitable after the disease spread to her eye and brain. However, Buttner who went on to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University with honors in economics and politics remained upbeat.

The 55-year-old business journalist often took out time to respond to fans on social media asking why she was not on Bulls & Bears. Buttner remained always thankful for their support, talking about her fight with cancer and telling all that she would soon return to the network. Her friend and former colleague, Tobin Smith revealed that Brenda remained undaunted as she battled the disease and joked about how chemotherapy made her lose unwanted pounds.

“I cannot describe how bravely she fought this cancer…she did chemo for years while still hosting Bulls & Bears and working the weekend news hits. She always said with a laugh ‘I wanted to lose a few pounds…well man this chemo diet works.”’

According to New York Daily News, Buttner spent 16 years at Fox News, hosting Bulls & Bears, a Saturday morning business show. Brenda was also a contributor to Cavuto’s show, Your World With Neil Cavuto.

The mother-of-two had hosted The Money Club on CNBC before moving to Fox News in 2000. On CNBC, Buttner left her mark as one of the first women to ever host a business show on cable television. In an interview with the Sun Sentinel, the broadcaster revealed that being a woman gave her an edge in business journalism.

“Women are not afraid to simply admit they don’t know about something, which men rarely do…women realize there is no such thing as a stupid question, when it comes to understanding an investment. Women tend to be better at research and take the whole activity of investing more seriously.”

Brenda was a Washington correspondent for CNBC for three years, stemming from 1990 to 1993. She became a general correspondent from 1995 to 1998. In 1990, the broadcaster won the National Clarion Award for best news story. In 1996, Brenda won the “Cable Ace” award for best business programming.

Buttner, who was born in San Francisco, California, was also an avid writer. She penned articles about personal finance for many outlets, including the New York Times. Brenda carved out time as a feature editor for Cycle World, a magazine for motorcycle lovers. Cavuto said Brenda never lost focus of the “little things that mattered to her,” despite her demanding job with the network.

“Little things in life defined the big things in Brenda’s life. A woman who would gloss over talking to financial and political kingpins as just another day at the office, far more eager to share her plans for a girls night out with her daughters.”

Buttner lived in Ridgewood, New Jersey, at the time of her passing with daughters Rebecca and Rachel Adkins.

She was married to Tom Adkins, a political pundit who frequently appeared on Fox News.

They divorced in 2010.

[Featured Image by Maya Kruchankova/Shutterstock]

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