Oprah Winfrey's dad, Vernon Winfrey, dead at 89 following cancer battle

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Oprah Winfrey's father, Vernon Winfrey, has died, the TV mogul announced Saturday on Instagram. He was 89.

Vernon had been battling cancer, according to Oprah Daily, and passed away on Friday, July 8, with family by his side, including his daughter.

"Yesterday with family surrounding his bedside I had the sacred honor of witnessing the man responsible for my life, take his last breath," the former talk show host captioned a post on Instagram. "We could feel Peace enter the room at his passing." 

Oprah Winfrey mourned the loss of her father, Vernon, who died on Friday. He was 89. Vernon and Oprah were pictured in 2003. (Adriane Jaeckle)

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Oprah shared the news alongside a video of gospel singer Wintley Phipps "saluting" Vernon with a song, which took place at a recent Fourth of July celebration held by her family. 

"I offer my deepest condolences to the family of Vernon Winfrey. Vernon served on Metro Council for 16 years and dedicated his life to entrepreneurship, barbering, and mentoring young men in the community," Nashville Mayor John Cooper said on Twitter. 

"An Army veteran and deacon, he leaves behind a legacy of service."

On the Fourth of July, Oprah surprised her beloved father with a backyard barbecue, and what she called the "Vernon Winfrey Appreciation Celebration."

She brought along flowers, balloons, a giant sign, and, according to according to Oprah Daily, some of his favorite people including his older sister, Christine, who he greeted with a tearful embrace.

On Father's Day, Oprah reflected on social media about some of the life lesson's Vernon taught her. 

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"If it were not for him, I doubt that anybody in the world would know my name," Oprah Daily reported she said in her video for Father’s Day. "I know firsthand how the trajectory of life can change by the positive influence of a good father."

Vernon was well known in the community for owning Winfrey Barber & Beauty Shop for 50 years, in addition to his work as a member of Nashville's Metro City Council for 16 years.

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"If I hadn't been sent to my father (when I was 14), I would have gone in another direction," Oprah told the Washington Post in 1986. "I could have made a good criminal. I would have used these same instincts differently."

Vernon also served as a trustee for the Tennessee State University.

Oprah's mother, Vernita Lee, died in 2018 at the age of 83. Lee and Vernon never married.

Fox News' Tracy Wright contributed to this report.