Lisa Colagrossi, a 49-year-old New York TV news reporter for WABC, has died after suffering a brain hemorrhage while covering a story on Thursday.
The veteran TV news reporter and anchor was remembered for her professionalism, compassion and reliable reporting after her death in NYC.
Fans and colleagues started sharing tributes within hours of the news. Even her hockey team, the New York Rangers, shared condolences on Twitter.
To them, the death of a morning news fixture felt like losing a loved one, many said, a testament to the role of local news in an age of global media.
Her employer, WABC said in a statement that "Thursday seemed like just another morning, with Lisa Colagrossi doing what she did so well, reporting live."
"She was an amazing reporter, committed to Eyewitness News. She was dedicated to telling a story with honesty, a working woman, a hockey mom."
"She was gutsy and fearless. We here at Eyewitness News are still in shock and we're trying to cope with the loss of someone we loved and valued."
It's what New York came to know and expect from Lisa Colagrossi: "authentic, steady, reassuring reporting," the station continued of "the ultimate pro."
Journalist Colagrossi, they said, could seamlessly "go from tackling crimes to financial news; Lisa could find humor even at the expense of herself."
"She covered some of the biggest stories in the Tri-State for almost 14 years. She started working at WABC the Sunday after the World Trade Center disaster."
Like most journalists, she made a few stops on her way to New York, starting in her native Cleveland before moving onto Alabama, West Virginia and Orlando.
In a news town that's notoriously tough to break into, Colagrossi "out-hustled other New York reporters from the very beginning," anchor Lori Stokes said.
"It's hard to imagine mornings without Lisa. We here at Eyewitness News are still in shock and we're trying to cope with the loss of someone we loved and valued."
She leaves behind two sons and a husband.
Celebrities We Lost in 2015
1.
Stuart Scott
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ESPN's Stuart Scott (1965-2015) will forever be missed. The beloved anchor and personality passed away after a long battle with cancer in January at the age of 49.
2.
Donna Douglas
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Donna Douglas of the Beverly Hillbillies passed away in early 2015. She was 81 years old.
3.
Mario Cuomo
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Mario Cuomo has passed away at the age of 82. He was New York's Governor from 1983-1994.
4.
Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle
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Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle, both U.S. ski team prospects, have been killed in an avalanche. R.I.P.
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5.
Andrae Crouch
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Andrae Crouch has died at the age of 72. The gospel music great passed away in January 2015.
6.
Rod Taylor
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Actor Rod Taylor (Time Machine, The Birds) died at the age of 84 in January.
7.
Taylor Negron
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Taylor Negron, a comic and actor is perhaps best known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, died at the age of 57.
8.
Anita Ekberg
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La Dolce Vita actress Anita Ekberg has passed away at the age of 83.
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9.
Kim Fowley
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Kim Fowley has passed away. The producer and one of the legendary names in punk music was 75.
10.
Greg Plitt
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11.
ASAP Yams
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ASAP Yams died at the age of 26. The Harlem native played/producer a key role in creating hip hop artists from that area of New York.
12.
John Sundahl
John Sundahl, a former boyfriend of Britney Spears, has been killed. He was shot down in a helicopter in Afghanistan.
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13.
Dallas Taylor
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Dallas Taylor, the drummer for Crosby, Stills & Nash, has passed away at the age of 66 in January 2015.
14.
Darren Shahlavi
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Darren Shahlavi is seen here on the NBC drama Constantine. The actor sadly passed away in early 2015.
15.
Violetta Degtiareva
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Violetta Degtiareva suddently died of heart failure January 12. The Russian tennis star was just 23 years old.
16.
Monty Oum
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Monty Oum, an animator best known for his work with Rooster Teeth, has died at the age of just 33.
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17.
Kayla Mueller
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U.S. aid worker Kayla Mueller was confirmed dead at the hands of ISIS in February. R.I.P.
18.
Dean Smith
Dean Smith retired from coaching in 1997 as the winningest coach in college basketball history. He passed away at the age of 83 in February of 2015.
19.
Bob Simon
The Emmy-winning reporter was killed in a NYC car accident in February.
20.
David Carr
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David Carr, a popular columnist for the New York Times, died February 12 after collapsing in the newsroom. He was 58.
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21.
Lesley Gore
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Lesley Gore passed away today at the age of 68. She is best remembered for her song "It's My Party."
22.
Lorena Rojas
Rest in peace, Lorena Rojas. This Mexican soap opera star lost her long battle with cancer in February.
23.
Jerome Kersey
Jerome Kersey, a 17-year NBA power forward, passed away at the age of 52 in February.
24.
Betty Lou Motes
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Betty Lou Motes, the beloved mother of Julia Roberts, died at the age of 80 in February.
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25.
Harris Wittels
Rest in peace, Harris Wittels. The comedian and TV producer died from a likely drug overdose at the age of 30.
26.
Ahmad Givens
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Ahmad Givens was better known to VH1 fans as "Real." He died of colon cancer in February of 2015.
27.
Ben Woolf
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Ben Woolf appears here on American Horror Story: Freak Show. The actor passed away at the age of 34.
28.
Ariel Camacho
Ariel Camacho, a Mexican singer/songwriter, was only 22 years old when he was killed in a car accident.
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29.
Anthony Mason
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Former New York Knicks star Anthony Mason passed away in February at the age of 48.
30.
Charmayne Maxwell
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Charmayne Maxwell was a Grammy-nominated singer who tragically died at the age of 46. According to report, she passed away from wounds suffered after accidently cutting herself at home.
31.
Sam Simon
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Sam Simon is best-known for helping to create The Simpsons. He passed away from colon cancer st age 59.
32.
Windell D. Middlebrooks
Windell D. Middlebrooks died suddenly at the young age of 36. Yup, he's the Miller High Life guy!
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33.
Andy Fraser
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Bassist and songwriter Andy Fraser of the rock band Free ("All Right Now") died at the age of 62.
The End.
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