Veteran U.S. news producer Bernard Birnbaum passed away on Thanksgiving Day after suffering a fatal heart attack. He was 89.

The longtime CBS network employee, who earned seven Emmy Awards for his work behind the scenes, died in New York after he fell ill while visiting relatives, according to a statement from the broadcaster.

Birnbaum produced the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and is believed to have helped shape the news coverage of high profile events including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal in the 1970s.

He is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren. His wife, Ronnie, passed away in 2005.