News anchor Marsh, 63, dies
MICHELE MARSH, a longtime fixture in local TV news and something of a pioneer for women anchors, died Tuesday, her family said. She was 63.
The Emmy Award-winning Marsh died after a seven-year battle with breast cancer at her home in South Kent, Conn., her son John Paschall, 25, said.
Paschall said about two weeks ago, Marsh’s health began deteriorating. Doctors found that cancer had spread to her brain and the family brought her home.
“She fought an incredible fight, and she beat all the odds against her,” Paschal said. “The doctors thought she wouldn't see me graduate and wouldn’t see me get married, and she did both of those things.”
In her last moments, Marsh thanked her family for being there for her, he said. “She was just extremely grateful for everything we’ve done for her, and we would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Marsh (photo) started her career at WCBS-TV in 1979 at age 25, and served as an anchor for 17 years.
She became a member of a group of female anchors who challenged the male-dominated business in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
After she and several other anchors were fired by WCBS in 1996, WNBC-TV picked her up in about a week, Paschall said.
“What she always prided herself on was just really going beyond the basic facts of the story and taking pride in storytelling in general,” he said.
“I think that in today’s world, that gets lost. She loved the power of the story, and she passed that on to me.”
Paschall followed in his mom’s footsteps and now works as a digital producer at NBC Sports.
Marsh parted ways with NBC in 2003, and focused on raising her son, who was 12 at the time.
Fond thoughts and memories of Marsh flooded social media Wednesday.
Reporter Pablo Guzman, wrote on Twitter, “This hurts. Michele LOVED her job. And, a GOOD person. A star here. Now, in the heavens.”
Rosanna Scotto, anchor of Good Day NY, posted, “So sad to hear about #MicheleMarsh . . . She was a role model and a warrior.”
Paschall was moved by the support. “I grew up watching her on TV, but to see the support from everyone is remarkable,” he said.
Marsh was born in Detroit in 1954. She had her son with her first husband, Nathaniel Paschall. She is also survived by her second husband, Paul Nargeolet, 71.