David Letterman regular Jack Hanna, 76, battling advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease

Jack Hanna, the zookeeper famous for his appearances on David Letterman’s late night shows and Good Morning America, is battling advanced stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Hanna’s wife Suzi described her husband’s health problems in an extensive piece published Wednesday The Columbus Shipment.

Hanna, 76, who served as director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from 1978 to 1992, was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in October 2019, and his family — Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne and Julie — told the paper his condition is progressed from moderate to advanced.

According to Hanna’s relatives, he can currently only remember Suzi, his wife to whom he has been married for 54 years; his dog Brassy and his oldest daughter Kathaleen.

“Jack’s people knew he’s gone, but bits of my husband did,” Suzi told the newspaper. “And I’m going to hold them as long as I can.”

His daughter Suzanne said, “He just didn’t remember who I was in every way. Whether in person or on the phone, he had no idea I was his daughter,” adding, “I think it’s because he didn’t see me that much because I got married and moved so young.”

Suzi said that Hanna’s daily routine includes medication and a two-mile walk they take together.

“I want to keep up these walks for as long as possible,” she said. “I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I’ve tried to hold on to Jack’s little bits ever since.’

She told the paper, “My husband is still out there somewhere. There are still those sweet, tender moments—you know, bits of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him.”

Suzi said caring for her husband was “very difficult some days … but he has taken care of me all these years, so it’s my turn to take care of him.”

Kathaleen was emotional as she discussed her father’s retreat from the limelight – he retired from his conservation work in 2020 – as the family tried to keep his Azheimer’s diagnosis private.

“He only retired because of Alzheimer’s,” Kathaleen said. ‘He was ashamed of it. He lived in fear that the public would find out.’

Kathaleen said Hanna “would have worked until the day he died.”

The TV personality’s family, his wife Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne and Julie, said his condition has dropped from moderate to advanced.

Hanna, 76, who was director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in October 2019

Knoxville, Tennessee native Hanna has shared his expertise and brought exotic animals to many shows, the most famous being Letterman’s a total of 93 times

Hanna appeared in 68 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS from 1993-2015

The charismatic zookeeper had Letterman on the edge of his seat with a reptilian friend he’d brought along

Kathaleen said the family came forward about Hanna’s health to raise awareness among other families in a similar situation.

“If this helps even one other family, it’s more than worth sharing Dad’s story,” Kathaleen told the paper. “He spent his whole life helping everyone he could.

“He’ll never know or understand, but he’s still doing it now.”

Suzi said she doesn’t rely on home care providers when their daughters aren’t available to attend.

She said she told her children, “I just want it to be your daddy and me for as long as I can.” The river, the sun, Brassy, ​​our walks … that’s what we’ve got left.’

In April 2021, Hanna’s daughters opened up about their Alzheimer’s diagnosis in a statement on the Columbus Zoo’s social media.

“His condition has progressed much faster in recent months than any of us could have foreseen,” his daughters said. “Unfortunately, Dad can no longer participate in public life as he used to, where people all over the world watched, learned and laughed next to him.”

They added: ‘While Dad’s health has been declining rapidly, we can assure you that his wonderful sense of humor continues to shine through. And yes, he still wears his khakis at home.”

Hanna was pictured with actress Drew Barrymore at a 2016 event in LA

He carried a rare serval cat while posing alongside Katie Holmes on the NYC set of Good Morning America in 2017

Knoxville, Tennessee native Hanna – nicknamed “Jungle Jack” – has shared his expertise and brought exotic animals to many shows, most famously Letterman’s a total of 93 times.

He appeared in 25 episodes of NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman from 1985 to 1993; and on 68 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS from 1993-2015.

He also shared his expertise on 39 episodes of ABC’s Good Morning America from 1990-2019.

Hanna also made appearances on talk shows, including Piers Morgan Live, Maury, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

He also had his own syndicated shows, starring in 162 episodes of Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild from 2007-2020; and on 156 episodes of Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown from 2011-2020.