NBC 4 Washington reported that veteran anchor and reporter Wendy Rieger passed away early Saturday morning following a battle with brain cancer. She was 65 years old.
Following her diagnosis with Glioblastoma in July, Rieger had surgery to remove a tumour from her brain. Later, she had open-heart surgery for the treatment of two different cardiac problems. In December, she made the announcement of her retirement. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced December 17, 2021, Wendy Rieger Day in the District upon the announcement of her retirement.
It wasn’t until the late 1970s that Rieger began working as a newsreader for her hometown radio station in Norfolk, Virginia; she was an actor at the time. It’s said she was encouraged to “sound like a news person,” “like Walter Cronkite,” by a coworker at her local TV station.
In 1980, Rieger received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from American University. Rieger was a writer and broadcaster at American University Radio before joining NBC4 Washington in 1988 as a reporter. She was also a WTOP news anchor. At the beginning of 2001, Rieger started anchoring the afternoon newscasts at NBC4 for weekend evening newscasts.
The following message was made public by NBC 4 on their website.
Wendy Rieger’s family would like to extend their deepest condolences to her friends and colleagues.”
Sadly, we lost Wendy Rieger today; she was a brilliant, vivacious, and loving member of our community.
Wendy was as much a part of life as she was a part of it. She had a plethora of interests, and she made a point of sharing them with as many people as she met. Our lives have been enriched by her distinctive manner, which combined comedy, intellect, and compassion for more than 30 years on NBC4 Washington.
A year ago, Wendy was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was in December that she decided to take a break from her career and begin a new one. It was just a matter of time until she succumbed to the cancer that had returned with vengeance some weeks earlier.
We extend our deepest condolences to Dan’s family and friends, including her brothers, nieces, and nephews, as well as her numerous colleagues and acquaintances.
