Vance, D.C. TV reporter, dies
LONGTIME Washington news anchor Jim Vance died Saturday of cancer, silencing a “smooth voice, brilliant mind and unforgettable laugh,” according to his boss at NBC. He was 75.
Vance — who anchored the newsdesk for more than 45 years — revealed to colleagues and viewers in May that he was battling cancer, but he not did not reveal what type.
“For more than 45 years, Jim Vance was not only the soul of NBC4 but of the entire Washington area,” station president Jackie Bradford said in a statement. “His smooth voice, brilliant mind and unforgettable laugh leaves each of us with a tremendous void.”
NBC and viewers shared an outpouring of grief Saturday. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called Vance’s passing “a loss for D.C.” “Our thoughts & prayers are w/ his family,” she wrote. “Jim Vance was a steady voice who shared the news — good or bad — with grace.”
“So sad to hear of Jim Vance’s passing. He defined what was best about journalism in DC & never lost the common touch,” former Attorney General Eric Holder tweeted.
Vance began on NBC4 as a reporter in 1969 and became an anchor three years later. He was the area’s longest-serving newscaster, anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts since 1989.
He garnered wide-spread sympathy for being open about his struggles with drugs and depression.