I listened in disbelief tonight when the news reported the death of local fitness inspiration, Jack LaLanne. With all the adorable ‘how to stay active’ commercials he and his wife Elaine have put on for us–even in their elder years–I both grateful for their tireless contributions and saddened by the loss….

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down, eat well and pump iron for decades before diet and exercise became a national obsession, died Sunday. He was 96.

LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay on California’s central coast, his longtime agent Rick Hersh said.

“I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for,” Elaine LaLanne, LaLanne’s wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television appearances, said in a written statement. more