Wendy Rieger death: Popular Washington DC news anchor dies at age 65 from brain cancer

Longtime television news anchor Wendy Rieger, who co-presented NBC4’s 5pm broadcast in Washington DC for over 20 years, died on 16 April at the age of 65.

She died of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that can occur in the brain or spine, and had also undergone a procedure last year to remove a cancerous tumor, reports said.

While the disease has no cure, it is treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Rieger was a common face on local television and was a part of the NBC4 network for over three decades.

In a statement NBC4 Washington said: “We lost our smart, vibrant, wonderful Wendy Rieger today.”

“For more than 30 years, NBC4 Washington viewers benefited from her unique style that blended humor, intelligence and compassion, and we are all better for knowing her.”

The statement added that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer almost a year ago and had undergone surgery.

She retired from the network in December “with an intent to savor the rest of her life and start a new chapter.”

“Her cancer returned aggressively several weeks ago, and she died this morning, holding the hand of her husband, Dan.”

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Rieger was a graduate of American University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Rieger went on to work in radio for WAMU and WTOP.

Later she joined NBC4 in 1988 and became a news presenter for the network in 1996.

In an obituary the network praised her “unique coverage of hurricanes up and down the East Coast.”

Her stints outside the country included the Brazil Olympics, a royal wedding in England along with covering events from New Zealand and Vietnam.

Among other laurels, she has also won local Emmy Awards for her reporting on 20 years of the Vietnam war.

Condolences have poured in for Reiger from her former colleagues.

“For all these years, Wendy was Wendy: smart, funny, compassionate and authentically herself,” wrote NBC4 anchor Doreen Gentzler.

“She shared a lot of her life with us over the years talking about her homes, her cats, her boat, her love of wine and her love of the area from the waters of Maryland to the mountains of Virginia. And, of course, the culture of Washington.”

“Today a bright light went out at NBC4,” wrote her longtime co-host, Jim Handly, on Facebook.

In a statement Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser said on Twitter: “I’m heartbroken over the passing of one of DC’s most beloved anchors, Wendy Rieger.”

“Wendy delivered the news honestly — with humor, heart, & expertise and she will be missed dearly.”