A former news anchor from Illinois and her family were on vacation when she tragically passed away. Aged 42 years. NBC affiliate WGEM reports that on April 6, while on vacation with her family, Lesley Swick Van Ness fell ill and was rushed to the hospital.
On April 10, the following Monday, she passed dead. Van Ness passed away in Naples, Florida, as stated in her obituary. According to her LinkedIn profile, Van Ness began working as a reporter for WGEM in 2003 and rose fast through the ranks.
By 2006, she had risen to the position of weekend anchor. In 2008, she was an evening anchor for a local news station. In 2016, she began working as a corporate recruiter for Quincy Media, which was subsequently acquired by Gray Television.
Jennifer Dale, vice president of recruiting for Gray Television, released a statement to Muddy River News on April 12 after her death. We have some terrible news to share with you, and we do it with deep regret. Dale released a statement that stated, “Lesley Van Ness, who we have been so fortunate to have as a member of the Gray family, passed away this morning.”
Tom and Lesley’s two boys are precious. Collectively, we ask that you keep them in your prayers. The plans will be shared with everyone. On April 12, former employees of Van Ness were interviewed for a program on their experiences working with her.
Anchor Natalie Will said that she and Van Ness had both begun working at WGEM as interns on the same day, when asked about their history together.
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Will seemed distressed as she recalled her late comrade. When it came to journalism, Lesley excelled. She said, “Just before I started crying,” She was a major influence in the newsroom. I apologize for underestimating the difficulty of this task.
Another former WGEM employee, Matt Schmidt, vouchsafed that Van Ness was easy to get along with. She was brave in what she said and she didn’t hold back, he remarked. She held the attention of everyone in the room. The two of us “clicked” immediately.
According to her obituary, Van Ness was an “exceptional mother and wife” who helped launch fellowship programs and paid internships for budding journalists across the country.
A quote from her obituary reads, “She was a determined parent who taught her children the importance of reading, safety, learning, and loving.” Despite the boys’ lack of interest at times, she and her husband were committed to providing them with a well-rounded education.
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