Kathie Lee Gifford makes an emotional return to ‘Today’

Kathie Lee Gifford returned to her co-host chair on the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today” on Monday, her first appearance since the death of her husband, Frank Gifford.

She thanked viewers and her colleagues for the outpouring of tributes to her husband of 29 years, a former New York Giants football star and broadcaster.

“It’s a heck of a way to find out how loved you are,” she told co-host Hoda Kotb.

Frank Gifford died Aug. 9 of natural causes at the family’s home in Connecticut. He was 84.

Watch Kathie Lee’s tribute to husband Frank Gifford

“We laughed up to the very end,” Kathie Lee Gifford said. “This was a man who was at complete peace with his life.”

She also expressed thanks that he died peacefully and without pain.

“The only thing Frank was afraid of was being a burden to those he loved,” she said.

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Gifford tearfully reminisced about her husband, noting that when she was annoyed with him he’d say, “You know, a lot of people like me.”

Gifford managed to milk some laughs from the emotional return. A box of tissues was lowered from above after her opening comments.