Legions of local news fans and the family of Katherine Creag are mourning her sudden death at age 47.
The New York news reporter passed away Wednesday evening just hours after working at her news station WNBC, the news station reported Thursday. Creag has been a fixture on the New York NBC affiliate’s newscasts since 2011. She covered a little bit of everything, but most watchers likely recall her morning reports which were sometimes accompanied by her hearty laugh.
“For ten years Kat was one of our cornerstones, always willing to help in any situation, whether it was a colleague in need or a shift that needed to be covered. She was thoughtful, funny and relentless. And even on the toughest days she was a bright light, quick with a kind word and a smile,” Amy Morris, WNBC’s vice president of news, said in an email to the staff.
Creag might have been known for her light energy, but she was a serious journalist. She was a 1996 graduate of New York University and won multiple Emmys, Murrow and AP awards for her broadcast journalism work in Dallas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Syracuse, New York, according to a WNBC report.
One of her fans and fellow journalist Daniel Gomez said he felt something was off when Creag was not featured during WNBC’s morning newscast. At the 11 a.m. show, it was revealed she had died Wednesday night.
“My heart goes out to NBC4 NY and the Today in NY team. Its remarkable how much of an impact a news reporter can have on a community,” he said in a tweet.
Her colleague Myles Miller paid tribute to the “genteel” news veteran Thursday on Twitter.
“Kat was the most genteel person I’ve ever met in this industry. Her smile, her laughter, and her tenacity made her truly one of a kind. Every text I sent to her began with “Tita,” which is Tagalog for “aunt” because in my heart she was family,” he said.
The native of Manila, Philippines, is survived by husband Bill Gafner and her three children.
The news station is accepting tributes and condolence messages to the family on its site.
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