DENISE D’ASCENZO DIES
Longtime WFSB-TV, Channel 3, anchor Denise D’Ascenzo dies unexpectedly.
HARTFORD — Longtime WFSB-TV, Channel 3, anchor Denise D’Ascenzo died Saturday, the television station announced late Saturday. She was 61. The cause of death wasn’t announced.
“It was sudden and unexpected,” the statement said. “The grief we are all feeling is immeasurable. We are devastated for her husband and daughter, who were her whole life.”
D’Ascenzo came to WFSB in 1986, and “through the years has been a steady and reassuring presence on the anchor desk covering all the major local and national news stories of the day,” the statement said.
In her career, D’Ascenzo won 11 Emmys for broadcast journalism, and most recently anchored Channel 3’s 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts.
Tributes to D’Ascenzo came pouring in over social media Saturday night.
Gov. Ned Lamont noted that D’Ascenzo was the longest serving news anchor at a single television station in Connecticut, entering millions of homes for more than 30 years.
“Through her dedicated work and dependable reporting, she earned the distinction of being a trusted name in journalism and her reporting most certainly made an impact,” Lamont said in a statement. “The work journalists provide is a vital public service, and through her career, Denise dedicated herself to the people of Connecticut.”
He added: “She is undoubtedly a Connecticut news legend.”
In addition to steady and reassuring presence on the news anchor desk, D’Ascenzo traveled to file special reports on such events as the 1988 Republican National Convention, the U.S. visit of Pope John Paul II, the crash of United flight 232 and the arrest of the Washington D.C. sniper.
“Denise had a tremendous influence on generations of viewers across Connecticut
through her dedication, passion and devotion to telling the stories that mattered,” said Andrew Julien, publisher & editor-in-chief at The Courant. “We were lucky to have her as a colleague, and we will miss her greatly.”
In the community, D’Ascenzo was a strong advocate for raising awareness of medical conditions such as breast cancer, heart disease and obesity. She also was recognized for work with such charitable organizations as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Mary’s Place and Channel 3 Kids Camp.
Dana Neves, WFSB’s general manager, remembers interning at the station in the 1990s, and how well she was treated by D’Ascenzo right from the first day.
Her on air persona — coming across the airwaves as friendly and accessible — was not an act, Neves said. That’s how D’Ascenzo was in the newsroom, at staff events outside the office and anywhere else, Neves said.
During the toughest stories — the Lottery and Hartford Distributor shootings and especially the Sandy Hook school massacre — D’Ascenzo was a steady, reassuring presence.
“It feels like we’ve lost our captain,” Neves said. “In crisis, we’d say, ‘Let’s go and get Denise.’ Now, she’s become the crisis, and it’s really jarring.”
The sheer sudden nature of her death caught everyone off guard.
“Simply stunned by this news,” Tony Terzi, a longtime Fox 61 reporter, said in a post on Facebook. “A wonderful woman and journalist. May God bless Denise’s family and colleagues. My dad worked at the anchor desk with her for 18 years.”
The Courant’s Daniela Altimari posted on Facebook: “Devastating to watch @DennisHouseTV announce the unexpected death of his close friend and TV wife of 25 years Denise D’Ascenzo tonight.”
D’Ascenzo was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in suburban Maryland where she took an early interest in journalism, a profile on Channel 3’s website notes. At 12, she launched the first newspaper in her grammar school and went on to become editor-inchief of her high school newspaper.
She was the first to receive a scholarship from the American Newspaper Women’s Club to attend a summer journalism program at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
D’Ascenzo landed her first television job at WIXT-TV in Syracuse, while a senior at Syracuse University. Hired for the nightly weather forecasting segment, D’Ascenzo came on full time as a reporter and forecaster after she graduated with dual degrees in broadcast journalism and political science.
Later, D’Ascenzo worked in St. Louis as a reporter and talk show host at KSDK-TV. She then moved on to Cleveland as anchor for the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts at WJKW-TV.
In 2013, Denise was elected to the Silver Circle, a prestigious honor bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for significant contributions to broadcasting. Two years later, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Connecticut Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
D’Ascenzo is survived by her husband Wayne and daughter Kathryn.