Denise D’Ascenzo Bio, Wiki
Denise D’Ascenzo was a WSFB-TV news anchor and a fixture on Connecticut television screens. She is reported to have died suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 WSFB-TV. She was 61 years old.
Denise D’Ascenzo Age
She was born in Washington, DC and grew up in suburban Rockville, Maryland. She was 61 years old.
Denise D’Ascenzo Early Life
D’Ascenzo was interested in journalism from a young age. She was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Rockville Maryland, by the age of 12 she had launched a school newspaper, her station biography says.
She was the editor of her high school newspaper and received a scholarship from the American Newspaper Women’s Club “to attend a summer journalism program at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University,” the bio explains.
Denise D’Ascenzo Education & Early Career
She graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual degrees in broadcast journalism and political science from Syracuse University. Denise was then hired as full time as a reporter and weathercaster at WIXT-TV in Syracuse.
She shared the below throwback picture. “Hi, friends! #ThrowbackThursday,” she wrote. “This is from my first TV job at WIXT-TV in Syracuse, New York! I was a senior at Syracuse University and I had no clothes for TV! To this day, I am grateful for the friends who bailed me out! ?”
She went on to anchor the top-rated 6:00 and 11:00 newscasts at WJKW-TV in Cleveland, Ohio. Before Cleveland, Denise worked in St. Louis as a reporter and talk show host at KSDK-TV.
Denise D’Ascenzo WSFB-TV
Denise D’Ascenzo was a longtime WSFB-TV news anchor. She joined WFSB-TV in 1986. She covered all the major local and national news stories of the day. She has also traveled to provide special coverage of such events as the 1988 Republican National Convention, the U.S. visit of Pope John Paul the II, the crash of United flight 232 and the arrest of the Washington, DC sniper. In addition to local and national political leaders, Denise has interviewed a number of celebrities, including Paul Newman, Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, and Oprah Winfrey, according to Denise D’Ascenzo’s bio on WSFB website.
Denise D’Ascenzo Awards & Recognition
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. In 2015, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Connecticut Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
D’Ascenzo was an 11-time Emmy award winner. She has also been honored with two prestigious Edward R. Murrow awards, seven Associated Press awards, and a national Gabriel Award. She has also been recognized for her work with several charities including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Mary’s Place and the Channel 3 Kids Camp.
Denise D’Ascenzo Husband
Denise D’Ascenzo was married to her husband Wayne Cooke. Wayne’s family “ran Hilltop Orchards for years,” an Independent article reveals. At some point, according to the article, “Cooke and his family took the orchard down and replaced it with a hayfield.”
Denise D’Ascenzo Daughter
Denise and her husband, Wayne have a daughter, Kathryn. Denise sometimes shared photos of their daughter, Kathryn, on Facebook.
“Hi, friends! March Madness is underway! I am rooting tonight for my alma mater, Syracuse University! Here’s a 2006 pic of Kathryn and me inside the Carrier Dome. Who are you rooting for? And who wins it all?” she wrote in a post a few months ago.
Her daughter’s Facebook page says she is a Student Research Assistant at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University and Outreach and Communications Intern at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. She is studying Environmental and Sustainability Sciences at Cornell University. She graduated from Branford High School in 2011.
Denise D’Ascenzo Family
Denise D’Ascenzo was the daughter of Salvatore D’Ascenzo and Rita. She had three sisters, Donna, Diane, and Debbie.
Denise D’Ascenzo Father was a Marines Corps
Denise’s father was Salvatore D’Ascenzo. Back in 2013, on Veterans’ Day, she shared information about her father, writing, “I’m thinking of my father on this Veterans Day. Here are two photos of my Dad, Salvatore D’Ascenzo, who served with the Marine Corps, 6th Division during World War II. Somehow, he survived the battle for Sugarloaf Hill on Okinawa. To my Dad and all veterans — a heartfelt thank you for your service and sacrifice.”
Denise D’Ascenzo Death & Cause
Denise D’Ascenzo passed away on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 in her Connecticut home. She was 61 years old. WFSB announced her death in a statement: “The grief we are all feeling is immeasurable,” WFSB said. “We are devastated for her husband and daughter who were her whole life. There are no words that could begin to summarize this loss for our WFSB family.”
Denise D’Ascenzo Tributes
Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement on the passing of WFSB news anchor Denise D’Ascenzo: “As the longest-serving news anchor at a single television station in Connecticut, Denise D’Ascenzo has entered millions of homes in our state for more than thirty 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. The work journalists provide is a vital public service, and through her career, Denise dedicated herself to the people of Connecticut. The news of her passing is incredibly saddening, and I extend my deepest condolences to Denise’s family, friends, and colleagues at WFSB. She is undoubtedly a Connecticut news legend.”
“I am shocked to read about Denise D’Ascenzo unexpected death. I did not know her well. She was a very nice person. Sweet. She seemed like her on-air persona,” wrote one man on Twitter.
Denise D’Ascenzo Facebook
Denise D’Ascenzo Twitter
On Twitter, D’Ascenzo described herself as “Anchor at WFSB, wife, mother, unofficial station nurse and dog lover.”
