Arizona news anchor Ana Orsini, 28, died last week of a brain aneurysm, according to reports.
"It's so horrible, so sudden," her colleague, KOLD-TV anchor Tyler Butler, wrote while confirming her cause of death Tuesday on Facebook. "Ana was a force of nature. I keep thinking about how at times, I'd make a self-deprecating joke and she'd snap, 'Hey! Don't talk about my friend like that!' Her genuine care for everyone around her will be missed."
In a tribute, KOLD remembered Orsini as someone with "bottomless empathy who always stood up for 'the little guy.'"
"She was a smiling face most especially for all her newest and youngest coworkers, and she is known in all the newsrooms where she worked for taking them under her wing and being a strong mentor for both work and life," the tribute read.
According to KOLD, Orsini was passionate about rescue animals and "loved true crime" to such an extent that she had a calendar keeping track of the releases of all the new episodes of her top podcasts.
"She was a peanut-butter-M&M-loving, platform-Ugg-wearing, pink-or-purple-Stanley-toting ray of sunshine, even at 4:00 in the morning," the tribute added.
Orsini's colleagues first announced her death Monday during a broadcast at the CBS affiliate in Tucson.
"Sad news to share with you, our beloved friend and co-anchor Ana Orsini passed away unexpectedly last week," Butler told viewers, according to People.
“Ana has been here at 13 News since June of 2023, and we are devastated by this loss," added co-anchor Carsyn Currier.
Orsini began her career in journalism in 2018 at a news station in Lubbock, Texas, after earning her degree from Texas A&M University. She later moved to Medford, Oregon, where she worked for three years as a morning and midday anchor, reporting on a range of stories
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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