A statement made by Jennifer Dale, Vice President of recruiting at Gray Television to Muddy River News, says, It is with a very heavy heart that we share some devastating news with you.
Lesley Van Ness, who we have been so fortunate to have as part of the Gray family, passed away this (Monday) morning, The New York Post reported.
Dale continued, Lesley had been on vacation with her beautiful family in Florida when she fell ill and was hospitalized last Thursday. Lesley and her husband Tom have two precious young boys. Please keep all of them in your prayers. We will keep everyone posted on arrangements.
According to The New York Post, Lesley was an anchor for WGEM-TV and an executive for its parent company, Gray Television.
The news was unexpected as Lesley, her husband Tom, and their two young boys were vacationing in Naples, Florida, when Lesley fell ill and was taken to the hospital. The cause of her illness and death has not been released.
Lesleys colleagues have responded with comments about the tragic news. Matt Schmidt, an anchor for seven years at WGEM-TV, said, She was a powerful personality. She could walk into the newsroom and instantly take over. She just had a commanding presence about her.
Meteorologist Brian Inman of WGEM-TV said, She wasnt afraid to do the dirty work and wasnt afraid to work the extra hour, especially if it was something that was really impacting the community.
Van Ness graduated from Illinois State University and began her career with WGEM-TV as a reporter in 2003. In 2006, she moved into an anchor position, and two years after that, she anchored the weekday editions for both the evening and late-night news.
In 2016, she switched from the anchor position to a corporate position as the acquisition specialist for Quincy Media.
Van Ness had written on her LinkedIn page, Family priorities changed, and I jumped at the chance to become Quincy Medias first corporate recruiter from 2016 to 2021.
Tom and Neat Brower wrote, When I think of Lesley, I bring up memories of a beautiful child swimming in the Hamilton swimming pool. She did her job with integrity. Lesley will always hold a place in our hearts.
Funeral services for Lesley will take place at 10 AM, Monday, at St. Johns Anglican Parish in Quincy.
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