Arnold Diaz died on October 24, 2023, at Greenwich Hospital after a nearly decade-long battle with multiple myeloma. His wife, Shawn, and children, Alex, Shayna, and Casey, were with him at the last. He was 74.
An investigative television reporter with 48 Emmys to his credit, Diaz was renowned for his “Shame on You” segments and revered in the New York metropolitan area as someone who was always watching out for the little guy.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on June 16, 1949, he was the son of Florette (Cohen) and Leonard Diaz. The family moved to Miami when he was 5. He received an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Florida State University before going on to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern.
After a brief stint as a reporter in Miami, he returned to New York City, where he landed a job as a general assignment reporter at CBS, writing scripts for small features. Once he got on air, he was a natural. In his long and storied career, he also worked at Fox, ABC, and WPIX.
He met his future wife, Shawn Callaghan, when both worked at CBS, she as a set designer on the “Captain Kangaroo” show. “We were on the crosstown bus to work,” she recalled, “and I complimented him on a story he had on the air the night before.” Four months later, he proposed. The couple were married for 43 years. “What a ride it was,” she said.
In 1989, the Diaz’s built a home in Rye, N.Y., where they raised their family. Fifteen years later, they built a home in the Greyrock section of Port Chester. In recent years they lived in Stamford, Conn.
A fine and fierce tennis and paddle court tennis player before his illness, Arnold Diaz was an intense and driven individual, said his family. He was passionate about everything he did, as well as good at everything he did. In addition to being a gifted writer, he was a pleasure to watch on the dance floor. His children inherited his love of jazz and the whole family traveled to New Orleans every May for Jazz Fest.
In his later years, he embraced meditation in search of a softer side of himself. Less than a year ago, despite his declining health, he and his daughter Shayna attended a meditation retreat in North Carolina.
Arnie Diaz will be deeply missed by his wife and children; his grandsons, Miles and Logan; his many friends; and his dog, Nola.
A celebration of his life will be held next year at the Unitarian Church in Stamford.
