'60 Minutes' Pays Tribute to Andy Rooney: 'America's Favorite Grouch-in-Chief' (Video)

60 Minutes paid tribute to the late Andy Rooney on Sunday night, two days after the CBS newsmagazine's former commentator died.

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•Obituaries

On Sunday, veteran correspondent Morley Safer gave a short introduction about Rooney’s death (the 92-year-old curmudgeon died Friday at age 92 from serious complications that developed after a minor surgery).

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In his introduction, Safer said Rooney “had the special gift for speaking for every man.” He also called Rooney "America's favorite grouch-in-chief."

Then 60 Minutes reran Safer’s interview with Rooney that aired Oct. 2, the episode that featured Rooney's final commentary. It was filled with clips from Rooney’s essays over the 33 years that he served as commentator on the newsmagazine.

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The segment, which aired at the end of Sunday's 7 p.m. telecast, focused not only on the highlights of Rooney's career -- including his coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing and Iraq War -- but also on the lowlights, including when he was suspended in 1990 over "questionable observations" he had made about sexuality and race.

Rooney's “A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney” segment had been a fixture on the show since 1978. His final essay, titled "My Lucky Life," marked his 1,097th commentary.

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"This is a moment I have dreaded," he told viewers. "I wish I could do this forever."

Rooney's final report boosted the ratings for 60 Minutes, which drew 17.1 million viewers, its largest October audience in four years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.