Late on Tuesday, July 26, Bravo Chef tweeted the sad news in a post that read: “The Top Chef family is saddened to learn about the unexpected passing of Howard Kleinberg from season three.”

“Howie’s passion for cooking filled so many and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends.”

The #TopChef family is saddened to learn about the unexpected passing of Howard Kleinberg from season three. Howie’s passion for cooking filled so many and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends. Read more here: https://t.co/W4r1JiTlfZ

— Bravo Top Chef (@BravoTopChef) July 26, 2022

Howard’s mother, Susan, said. “He was 46.”

“I am just finding out how many lives he touched.”

“He was married to his passion in life, which was his cooking.”

Howard Kleinberg saw the passion for food all around him.

Sadly Howard’s father died when Howard was just six years old. His father started a hot dog company and his mother was a career event planner who worked with caterers

Lee Schrager, who founded the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, helped to find Howard a job in the kitchen at the Hotel Intercontinental in downtown Miami.

Howard was still a young, unknown chef when Terry Zarikian, culinary director of the South Beach food festival, recommended him for Season 3 of Top Chef in 2007.

Howard was cast as a tough-guy instigator who would take no nonsense and earned the nickname, Bulldog.