Employees were notified on Wednesday that Edgeworth had tested positive for COVID-19, but his identity was withheld at the time for privacy reasons. Edgeworth’s wife said he “suffered from other health issues that led him to succumb to the illness,” Lack wrote.

Edgeworth is survived by his wife, Crystal, and two sons. “We are doing everything we can to support his family during this very difficult time,” Lack wrote.

The announcement of Edgeworth’s death prompted fond remembrances Friday from NBC News reporters and colleagues.

Andrea Mitchell, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent, described Edgeworth as a “gentle bear of a man” and the “heart and soul of our extended NBC family.”

“I was always cheered and reassured knowing he was on the team in the field. He always had my back whether here in the U.S. or in the most dangerous situations around the world,” Mitchell said in a statement. “His smile, his laugh, and his good humor were remarkable no matter how difficult the circumstances. He was a treasured colleague and I am terribly sorry for this unbelievable loss for his family.”

“@NBCNews lost our gentle giant, our cheerleader, our sound man Larry Edgeworth to #coronavirus,” tweeted Anne Thompson, NBC News chief environmental affairs correspondent. “From Rome to the BP Oil Spill, he was the best colleague. We’d talk football and he loved the desserts I made, especially chocolate chip cookies. Love you Larry.”

“I adored him,” tweeted Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC's “Today” show. “He was full of spirit and joy and humor. He was the pro of pros. We traveled in 2008 on a campaign plane for two months. He was a bright light every day. Larry, dear, we will miss u.”

Kasie Hunt, NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent, tweeted that she “first met Larry back in 2012 before I worked at NBC, and [he] was just the most warm and welcoming colleague to work with in the years since.”

“I met him as the sound tech on our team that covered the Romney campaign in 2012. He called me ‘slim,’ and helped me put together my first resume tape,” MSNBC correspondent Garrett Haake wrote on Twitter. “He was SO proud of his kids. He was hilarious.”

Bill Karins, a meteorologist for the network, tweeted that Edgeworth “left 30 Rock a week ago today saying he didn’t feel well and then tested positive for” COVID-19. “Rest In Peace Larry,” Karins wrote.

More than 14,000 people have become infected with the coronavirus across all 50 states, and at least 205 Americans have died as a result of the virus. Because of limited testing capacity, experts agree the actual number of positive cases is much more.