NBC Reporter Passes Away After Suffering Cardiac Arrest

A reporter at a Washington D.C.-based television station has passed away.

Derrick Ward, who worked for NBC4 Washington for nearly 20 years, died of complications from cardiac arrest.

He was 62.

“Derrick Ward, a member of the News4 family, died Tuesday following complications from recent cardiac arrest. He was 62. Please join us in sharing love and support with his family,” NBC4 Washington wrote.

Derrick Ward, a member of the News4 family, died Tuesday following complications from recent cardiac arrest. He was 62. Please join us in sharing love and support with his family. https://t.co/6GNl1WHu0o pic.twitter.com/kTf2FwBdJP

— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) January 8, 2025

Per NBC4 Washington:

A native of the District of Columbia, Ward grew up in Marshall Heights and the H Street Corridor in Northeast. He lived through the 1968 riots and documented his experiences on News4 as part of the station’s 40th anniversary coverage. Ward attended HD Woodson High School and the University of Maryland.

Ward’s journalism career began in radio. He worked for WPFW, WAMU and WTOP, covering major stories such as the Iran-Contra hearings, the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon, and the Washington-area sniper shootings.

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When Ward made the move to television reporting, his first job was at WKBW-TV in Buffalo. He returned to Washington in 2006 and began reporting for News4.

Ward had a way with words and music. He shined when he had a pen, a microphone — or a guitar – in his hands.

In a statement, Ward’s family called him an inspiration and cherished member of his family and hometown.

Derrick Ward, Beloved NBC Reporter in D.C., Dies at 62 https://t.co/Q61O6XRcWS

— People (@people) January 9, 2025

Heartbroken at the loss of a great friend and colleague. @DerrickWard4 was a brilliant writer and journalist who loved reporting on his hometown. Derrick was also a fabulous musician. R-I-P brother, we’ll take it from here. @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/7jsElAACVb

— Mark Segraves (@SegravesNBC4) January 8, 2025

From the New York Post:

His NBC4 colleagues took to X to pay tribute to the reporter on Wednesday.

“Heartbroken at the loss of a great friend and colleague. @DerrickWard4 was a brilliant writer and journalist who loved reporting on his hometown,” NBC4 Washington reporter Mark Segraves wrote in a post.

“Derrick was also a fabulous musician,” he added, posting a photo of Ward playing the guitar on stage with a band. “R-I-P brother, we’ll take it from here.”

NBC4 reporters recalled Ward’s friendly attitude and smile.

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“Derrick greeted everyone with a welcoming smile and a warm laugh,” Tracee Wilkins, an investigative reporter at the outlet, wrote in a post. “He was a dedicated dad, a wonderful colleague, a stellar journalist, and a gifted guitar player.”

Paul Wagner, who worked with Ward at WTOP in the late 1990s as well as NBC, said the late journalist always greeted him with a “Hey, Wags!” that “always made me smile.”

“He was always so nice to me and everyone he met,” NBC4 reporter Aimee Cho wrote in a post on X. “I loved shadowing him when I was an intern, and learned so much about writing, history, and life from him.”

Ward leaves behind his three children, Derrick Jr., Ian, and Marisa.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

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