Journalism lost a big player tonight. Journalists, especially those who cover the political beat and in Washington, got a shock to the system when Tom Brokaw interrupted NBC's normal schedule earlier today to report the death of his friend and colleague Tim Russert.

NBC reports that Tim Russert was working on some recordings for Sunday’s Meet The Press when he collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital but could not be resuscitated. He was an Irish Catholic from Buffalo, New York. He was proud of his blue collar roots, loved his family and was celebrating his son’s graduation from Boston College with a trip to Italy, from which he had just returned.

He was a devout Catholic and devoted husband and father. He wore many hats to match his political acumen, according to MSNBC he was the Managing Editor and Moderator of Meet the Press, political analyst for NBC Nightly News and the Today program.  He was also anchor of The Tim Russert Show, a weekly interview program on MSNBC. And he served as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News.

Personally, when I saw the breaking news headlines, around 4:30 p.m. CT, I thought they were reporting on the passing of his father, surely not Tim. But, I was wrong. Instead it was a report about Tim Russert’s death. He was only 58 years young.

His dedication and his work ethic were infectious to those he worked with. The man had just returned from Italy and was back at work preparing for Sunday’s show. He was said to be both “coach and player” on the Washington bureau of NBC. If you missed the news report by Tom Brokaw here it is from MSNBC. Tom and Tim were long-time colleagues. Russert was also an author of two bestsellers. The two presumptive candidates were also asked for their reaction to the news of Tim's death. Obama was "grief stricken."Obama on Russert's death:

I’ve known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004. He’s somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn’t a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives.