Walter Cronkite “Not At Death’s Door”: Source

Beloved newsman Walter Cronkite is “not at death’s door,” says a source who knows the score.

Last night frenzied reports indicated that Cronkite was “gravely ill” and soon to pass away.

But I’ve spoken with someone close to the 92-year-old CBS legend. And here’s the story: “He is not dying. He’s eating, talking, and going outside. When he goes outside he’s in a wheelchair and he has an aide. But he’s 92. He doesn’t have cancer or any other maladies. Just old age. Maybe someone saw him in the park and thought he didn’t look well.”

My source did concede that Cronkite is “failing in the sense that he’s simply old.” It’s unclear how the emergency death watch signal went out last night.

Cronkite, my source assured me, is surrounded by friends and family including his lady friend of the last few years, Joanna Simon, the opera singer and sister of Carly Simon. The Martha’s Vineyard neighbors became close after the deaths of their mutual spouses, and even considered getting married.

And that’s the way it is, as Cronkite would say, for now.