Craig Melvin in tears recalls his final outing together with Sheinelle Jones’ late husband Uche Ojeh

Sheinelle Jones’ co-hosts announced that her husband, Uche Ojeh, died at the age of 45 from brain cancer in the May 23 episode of the morning show

Craig Melvin is remembering Uche Ojeh.

During the Friday, May 23, live broadcast of the Today show, it was revealed that Sheinelle Jones’ husband died at the age of 45 from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. As her co-hosts honored Ojeh’s legacy throughout the morning, Melvin reflected on their final outing together.

“The last time we played golf together last fall, we had a number of conversations about just life in general,” the 46-year-old journalist recalled. “And one thing he always talked about, he talked about those kids. He loved those kids more than anything else in this world and was just so proud. He was that dad that was on the sidelines of all the soccer games. He was at all the concerts and the recitals. He was that guy.”

Melvin also acknowledged Jones’ strength and resilience while she coped with such a difficult time.

“What has been remarkable, also, is watching the way with which she has dealt with this,” he said. “Dealing with a husband who’s battling cancer and three young children that she has had to rear by herself for a while now, essentially. It’s just, it really is remarkable.”

Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Carson Daly, Dylan Dreyer and Jenna Bush Hager commended Jones, 47, for putting on a brave face, as well.

“We all know Sheinelle, she’s always smiling,” Dreyer noted. “She’s just the bright light when she walks into the room. Even through this, she relied on her faith, she relied on her friends. I think back to COVID when they, as a family, were in South Carolina together. They had this special time of their life to just all be together because that was the most important thing to each and every one of them.”

Bush Hager added: “And she has her humor. I mean, we all know that. There’s nobody funnier than Sheinelly. That humor, she’s found the grace in the grief, which is not easy. But I know we all, when we’ve spoken to her, have just been completely inspired.”

Ojeh first met Jones at Northwestern University in the late ’90s. At the time, she was just a freshman, but he — a visiting senior — caught her eye and she offered to show him around campus.

By 2001, both had graduated from the prestigious university: Jones with a degree in journalism and Ojeh with a degree in computer science with an economics concentration. After dating long distance for eight years, Ojeh proposed on their alma mater’s campus where they fell in love in the middle of a rainstorm.

They got married in September 2007 in Jones’ hometown of Philadelphia and welcomed their first son, Kayin, in August 2009. Then, in July 2012, they expanded their family with fraternal twins, Clara and Uche.

Guthrie, who praised Ojeh and Jones’ “beautiful love story,” called the pair “true partners in life” who stood by each other through everything.

“Uche had a beautiful, deep, abiding faith every single day of this fight, and you could see it in his eyes,” she shared. “He was an extraordinary person, and we love him, and we love you, Sheinelle.”

Jones, who has been absent from the Today show since mid-December, later shared a video of the segment on Instagram with the caption: “Thank you, for all of your love and support. ”