Wendy Rieger, Beloved News4 Anchor, Dies Following Cancer Battle

Wendy Rieger, longtime News4 anchor and reporter, died Saturday morning after a battle with Glioblastoma. Wendy was holding the hand of her husband, Dan, as she handed away. She was 65.

For nearly 35 years, Wendy had a method of lighting up the display. You’d by no means fairly know what you had been going to get.

Besides….yea, you’d know precisely what you’d get.

For all these years, Wendy was Wendy: Good, humorous, compassionate and authentically herself.

She shared a whole lot of her life with us through the years speaking about her houses, her cats, her boat, her love of wine and her love of the world from the waters of Maryland to the mountains of Virginia. And, after all, the tradition of Washington.

Wendy got here to Washington to review at American College in Northwest D.C. Her profession started in radio together with her sturdy, euphonic voice emanating from the airwaves at WAMU and WTOP.

When she began at News4, nonetheless, it was clear that Wendy belonged in entrance of the digital camera.

In Pictures: 30 Years of Wendy Rieger

It’s possible you’ll bear in mind Wendy’s distinctive protection of hurricanes up and down the East Coast. She additionally reported from the Olympics in Brazil, a royal wedding ceremony in England and she or he chased information from New Zealand to Vietnam. 

And, for 20 years, she was that enjoyable participating buddy to verify in with each night at 5 o’clock. Her first desk accomplice was Susan Kidd after which she spent 14 years with the man she calls “Handly.”

The chemistry between Wendy and Jim Handly was magical from the beginning. The News4 Staff might hear their howling laugher from the make-up room to the newsroom.

Wendy was spontaneous and enjoyable, however she additionally knew her stuff.

Producers at all times knew Wendy might adlib sophisticated international coverage information or a breaking political story. She was one of many first tv journalists to usually cowl the surroundings via her breakthrough collection, Going Inexperienced.

And oh, might she write. Her scripts had been the usual that her colleagues aspired to succeed in. Jim Vance, our late colleague, described Wendy’s expertise as “finely expert.”

The final story Wendy wrote was a heartfelt reflection on our late colleague Joe Krebs. She was going to overlook his funeral that week as a result of she wasn’t feeling properly.

It turned out {that a} mind tumor was the reason for her signs. The analysis got here just some months after Wendy had open coronary heart surgical procedure. Wendy talked about that surgical procedure with News4 viewers as a result of she needed to warn folks to concentrate to their signs.

By all of that — on TV and off — Wendy confirmed us simply what sort of energy she had. When she signed off the air after 33 years, we noticed our sturdy, sensible, inventive and curious buddy look again with satisfaction and forward with hope.

Wendy Rieger has been masking information in D.C. for over 40 years.  Now she’s prepared to begin a brand new chapter in life.  On this video, Wendy shares what she plans to do, what she’s going to miss at NBC4, and recommendation for journalists.

Her most cancers returned just some months after that magical day.

In a notice to the newsroom, she wrote this: “As you realize, I’ve lived my life massive and loud. It’s my nature. And I’ve had a blast. However a stillness has come over me that’s profound and potent. I didn’t know I could possibly be this quiet. Life will not be at all times a take a look at. It’s a instructing. I need to be taught this lesson with grace.  And I’ll.”

And you probably did, Wendy. You probably did with the grace and dignity we are going to always remember.

A notice from the News4 household on the passing of Wendy Rieger

We misplaced our sensible, vibrant, great Wendy Rieger at present.

Wendy liked life as a lot because it liked her. She had so many passions and lived life sharing them with everybody she might.  For greater than 30 years, NBC4 Washington viewers benefited from her distinctive model that blended humor, intelligence and compassion, and we’re all higher for figuring out her.  

Wendy was recognized with mind most cancers virtually a 12 months in the past.  She had surgical procedure and therapy, then retired in December with an intent to savor the remainder of her life and begin a brand new chapter.  Her most cancers returned aggressively a number of weeks in the past, and she or he died this morning, holding the hand of her husband, Dan.  

We ship our like to Dan, who was a colleague of ours for many years, and to her brothers, nieces and nephews and many, many pals.