Lesley Swick Vann Ness Death Cause, Obituary – A news anchor from an NBC affiliate in Illinois who was vacationing in Florida with her husband and their two young sons when she became ill and was hospitalized has passed away as a result of her illness. On Monday, it was announced that Lesley Swick Van Ness, who had served as an anchor for WGEM-TV in addition to holding an executive position for Gray Television, the parent company of WGEM-TV, had passed away in Naples, Florida.
Tom and Neat Brower stated in response to an online obituary, “In the eyes of a small community she was a celebrity, “Jennifer Dale, the vice president of recruiting at Gray Television, was quoted as saying, “It is with a very heavy heart that we share some devastating news with you,” in a statement that was published on Muddy River News. “We share some devastating news with you,”
This morning (Monday), we were informed that Lesley Van Ness, who we were so blessed to have as a member of the Gray family, had died away. According to the statement, Lesley and her husband Tom are the proud parents of two adorable young boys. “I ask that you remember each one of them in your prayers. We will keep everyone abreast on arrangements. “The people who worked with Van Ness recalled her as an influential and formidable figure.
“She was a powerful personality,” Matt Schmidt, who worked as an anchor at WGEM-TV from 2007 to 2014, told the news station. She had the ability to stroll into the newsroom and immediately take control. Simply put, she exuded an air of authority wherever she went. Schmidt also stated that “sitting on the news desk was an awesome experience.”
“She wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work and she wasn’t afraid to work the extra hour,” said Brian Inman, a meteorologist for WGEM-TV. “Especially if it was something that was really impacting the community,” he said. According to her LinkedIn page, Van Ness started her career in journalism in 2003 at WGEM-TV, the NBC local station in Quincy, Illinois. She had previously earned a degree in journalism from Illinois State University.
In 2006, she moved into the role of weekend anchor at the news station. After another year had passed, she was given the role of anchor for the daily editions of the evening and late-night newscasts.
After that, Van Ness transitioned over to the corporate division of the company. Her promotion to the position of talent acquisition specialist at Quincy Media came that same year (2016).