Michael Strahan’s father laid to rest as ‘Good Morning America’ pays tribute

“Good Morning America” offered a tribute Friday to Gene Strahan, the father of GMA star Michael Strahan. Gene Strahan has died at age 83.

The on-air tribute included family photographs of the proud dad and U.S. Army veteran.

“We wanted to take a moment to say our thoughts and our prayers are with our colleague Michael Strahan and his family,” said co-host Amy Robach.

Gene Strahan was born in 1937. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1955 and rose through the ranks to become a Major and serve with the 82nd Airborne Division, Robach said.

“Gene married wife Louise in 1957 and they spent 63 wonderful years together bringing up six children,’” she said.

“To Michael, Louise and the entire Strahan family, we want you to know our hearts are with you today. We love you, Michael.”

Strahan, the 48-year-old former NFL star, 48, gushed to People magazine in 2006 about the incredible support he always received from his parents.

“I never knew I could accomplish so much,” he said. “But my parents never act surprised. They look at me as if there’s no limit. That helped me feel like there’s no limit.”

He said his dad was stationed in Mannheim, Germany, when Strahan was 17 years old and arranged for him to live with an uncle in Houston so he could try for a college football scholarship.

Strahan, who went on to become a Giants defensive end, said he’d only played in community football leagues up to that point, not for an established high school team, so he wasn’t sure he could compete.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” Strahan told People.

“But because my dad never said ‘if’ or ‘possibly,’ (rather) ‘This is gonna happen’ — I said okay,” Strahan recalled.