Community members and family members are mourning the loss of a veteran journalist from Washington, D.C. who died Tuesday.

Derrick Ward Sr., a reporter at NBC4 Washington (WRC-TV) and formerly of radio stations WPFW, WAMU and WTOP, died Tuesday from complications after a recent cardiac arrest.

“Derrick has been an inspiration and cherished member of our family and his hometown community,” the 62-year-old’s family said in a statement shared publicly by WRC-TV. 

“As a distinguished journalist, Derrick’s storytelling, prolific writing, warmth, and humor touched countless lives. Our children and our entire family will miss him dearly,” his family wrote.

WRC-TV also issued a statement about his passing, calling him the station’s “resident DC historian and poet.”

Ward just celebrated his 62nd birthday last month, according to his Facebook page.

‘He shined when he had a pen, a microphone, or guitar in his hands’

Ward grew up in the southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Marshall Heights, WRC-TV reported. 

Ward went to H.D. Woodson High School and the University of Maryland, then worked for local radio stations such as WTOP. He eventually crossed over to television news, starting at WKBW-TV in Buffalo and then making his way back to D.C. in 2006 to report for WRC-TV.

According to the station, Ward was able to touch those around him through words and music.

“He shined when he had a pen, a microphone, or guitar in his hands,” the station wrote.

Ward lived through multiple moments in D.C. history, including the 1968 riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. He covered events such as the Iran-Contra hearings, the September 11 attacks and the Washington sniper shootings, according to his online biography.

Although his X account has been inactive since 2023, his last post gave social media users a glimpse into the work he did.

“Descendants of enslaved and enslavers join hands at Arlington House, Lee Family Plantation house,” Ward wrote on April 22, 2023.

His Facebook page also speaks to the journalist’s love for music as he shared clips of famed musicians performing. Up and down Ward’s timeline are clips of Caribbean band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, soul band Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango.

And when he wasn’t jamming and reporting, Ward loved playing golf and also spent lots of time with his three children, Derrick Jr., Ian, and Marisa, according to WRC-TV.

His family plans to share memorial information in the coming days, they wrote in their statement.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.