Neena Pacholke, morning news anchor for WAOW, dies at the age 27.
The devastating news was shared by WAOW, “Neena Pacholke, our beloved morning anchor passed away suddenly Saturday. The entire team here at News 9 are absolutely devastated by the loss as we know so many others are as well,” their statement read.
Neena was known for her infectious smile and her positivity, and that is the reason why her sudden death left everyone shocked.
Reports are that she died by suicide. At the time of her death, Neena was engaged, according to her older sister Kaitlynn Pacholke.
“She was just like a little ball of sunshine, and her smile was massive. My sister was by far the happiest person I thought I knew,” her sister shared with Tampa Bay.
What puzzled many is that the last social media post by Neena was a retweet of a tweet by author Jon Gordon which reminded people that the best is yet to come.
“She was a kind person with a big heart and a contagious smile and we will miss her greatly,” the station said in their statement.
Neena joined the station in 2017 as a journalist and was promoted to anchor the year later. She was also a basketball player who played for the University of South Florida in her college years.
Her colleagues are devastated, and they have a hard time accepting the fact that Neena is gone, especially because she was considered “the brightest light in the room” with the “biggest smile and the funniest laugh,”
as her co-anchor Brendan Mackey said.
“I have never met anyone in my entire life that is more loved than this girl. Everyday she made people smile, whether that was through a tv screen or just being an incredible friend. She was so happy and so full of life and a role model,” his Facebook post read.
Neena’s passing is yet another proof that we never know what people are going through. They may appear like the happiest people on Earth, but the struggles they face in their head is something that not many are aware of.
“She just radiated love and positivity, and she just cared so much about pouring into other people, and always put other people first. I think she did that at the expense of not caring about herself,” her sister added.
Rest in peace, Neena. You are dearly missed.
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