Vernon Winfrey, Oprah’s father and former council member, has died

“Yesterday with the family surrounding his bedside, I had the sacred honor to witness the man in charge of my life, take his last breath,” Oprah said in tribute to her father. shared on Instagram. “We feel peace entering the room upon his death.”

A tribute written to Oprah’s Daily, Oprah’s lifestyle outlet, said Oprah was able to spend time with her father in Nashville during his final weeks.

On July 4, Vernon was surprised by a “Vernon Winfrey Appreciation Celebration” and a backyard barbecue, surrounded by friends and loved ones.

In an earlier post, Oprah said the ceremony was a way to give her father his “flowers while still being good enough to smell”.

During the celebration, Oprah’s friend and gospel singer Wintley Phipps sang to him. “He felt so loved and celebrated that he could no longer speak,” she wrote.

Vernon was a well-known barber in his community and served on the Nashville Metro Board for 16 years.

“My deepest condolences to the Vernon Winfrey family. Vernon has served on the Metro Board for 16 years and has devoted his life to entrepreneurship, hairdressing, and mentoring youth in the community,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper He said on Twitter. “He is a veteran and deacon, who leaves behind a legacy of service.”

Oprah’s mother, Verneta Lee, Died in 2018 At 83. Lee was born in Mississippi and gave birth to Winfrey as a young woman. Lee and Vernon never married.

CNN’s Rebecca Reese contributed to this report.