Remembering Lesley Swick Van Ness

QUINCY (WGEM) - WGEM and the Tri-State community are mourning the loss of one of our own.

Former news anchor, Lesley Swick-Van Ness, passed away from a sudden illness Monday morning while vacationing with her family.

Lesley, a Tri-state native, started at WGEM as a reporter in 2003. She she became weekend anchor in 2006 and weekday evening anchor in 2008. In 2016, she become a recruiter for the company.

Former colleagues remember the 42-year-old as a leader in the newsroom, a force to be reckoned with, and a trusted member of the community.

”She was a powerful personality. She could walk into the newsroom and instantly take over. She just had a commanding presence about her. Sitting on the news desk was an awesome experience,” said Matt Schmidt who was an anchor at WGEM from 2007 to 2014.

“She wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work and wasn’t afraid to work the extra hour, especially if it was something that was really impacting the community,” said Brian Inman who is a meteorologist at WGEM.

She is survived by her husband, Tom, and two sons.

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