Longtime anchor and reporter for NBC 4 Washington, Wendy Reiger, died Saturday morning after a battle with brain cancer, the news station reports. She was 65 years old.
Last July, Reiger announced that he had had brain surgery to remove the tumor, and was undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. Several months later, he had open-heart surgery to correct two heart conditions. He announced his retirement in December. Following news of her retirement, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser declared December 17, 2021, Wendy Reiger Day in the district.
I’m heartbroken over the passing of one of DC’s most beloved anchors, Wendy Rieger.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) April 16, 2022
Wendy delivered the news honestly — with humor, heart, & expertise and she will be missed dearly. Our hearts are with Dan, her @nbcwashington family, and the many, many people who loved Wendy. pic.twitter.com/BAWSJJK3U9
According to The Washington Post, Reiger was an actress in her hometown of Norfolk, Va., when she took a job as a news reader for a local radio station in the late 1970s. He was reportedly advised by a station colleague to "sound" like a news person—"You know, serious," he was told, "like Walter Cronkite."
Reiger graduated from American University in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Before joining NBC4 Washington in 1988 as a reporter, Rieger worked in the Washington bureau of CNN and as a writer and host at WAMU, American University Radio. She also served as an anchor in WTOP. Reiger began anchoring the weekend evening newscasts on NBC4 in 1996, and continued to anchor the afternoon news stories starting in 2001.
NBC 4 posted the statement below to its website.
"A note from the News4 family on the passing of Wendy Reiger"
We lost our smart, vibrant, wonderful Wendy Reiger today.
Wendy loved life as much as he loved it. She had so many passions and was sharing life with everyone she could. For more than 30 years, NBC4 Washington audiences have benefitted from her unique style, which blends humor, intelligence, and compassion, and we get to know her better.
About a year ago Wendy was diagnosed with brain cancer. She underwent surgery and treatment, then retired in December with the intention of getting a taste of the rest of her life and starting a new chapter. Her cancer returned aggressively several weeks ago, and she died this morning, holding the hand of her husband, Dan.
We send our love to Dan, a colleague of ours for decades, and to his brothers, nieces and nephews, and many friends. ,