Obituary: Did Wendy Rieger Die From Covid?

A longtime News4 anchor and reporter, Wendy Rieger is dead.

Wendy Rieger didn’t die from covid. According to the News Station, Wendy died on Saturday morning after a battle with brain cancer. She was 65.

She revealed in July that she had brain surgery to remove a tumor and was having treatment for Glioblastoma after being diagnosed. Wendy had open-heart surgery a few months later to correct two heart problems.

In December, she announced her retirement. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser established Wendy Rieger Day in the District on Dec. 17, 2021, after learning of her retirement.

“I’m heartbroken over the passing of one of DC’s most beloved anchors, Wendy Rieger.” Muriel Bowser, Mayor of District of Columbia, DC wrote.

“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.”

According to The Washington Post, Rieger was an actress in her hometown of Norfolk, Virginia when she accepted a job as a news reader for a local radio station in the late 1970s to supplement her income.

Rieger earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from American University in 1980.

Prior to joining NBC4 Washington as a reporter in 1988, Rieger worked in CNN’s Washington bureau and as a writer and anchor at WAMU, American University Radio. She also worked at WTOP as an anchor.

In 1996, Rieger began anchoring NBC4’s weekend evening newscasts, and in 2001, he transitioned to the afternoon news.

A statement from NBC 4 after the death of Wendy Rieger reads.

“We lost our smart, vibrant, wonderful Wendy Rieger today.

“Wendy loved life as much as it loved her. She had so many passions and lived life sharing them with everyone she could.  For more than 30 years, NBC4 Washington viewers benefited from her unique style that blended humor, intelligence and compassion, and we are all better for knowing her.  

“Wendy was diagnosed with brain cancer almost a year ago.  She had surgery and treatment, then retired in December with an intent to savor the rest of her life and start 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, who was a colleague of ours for decades, and to her brothers, nieces and nephews and many, many friends.”

Wendy Rieger was born in 1956; died in 2022.