Denise D ascenzo wfsb news anchor passes away | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Denise D ascenzo wfsb news anchor passes away

In an era where many anchors allow their opinions to influence their reporting, Denise was always a true professional. She didn’t compromise her integrity by bowing to this pervasive trend. Beyond that, she had a warmth to her that you could feel, all while maintaining her professionalism...a real balancing act duplicated by so few. She will be missed! Thoughts and prayers to her daughter and husband at this very tough time.
 
She was all class and a real professional. For someone who wasn't from here--and is a Syracuse alum no less--she did an amazing job of establishing herself as a Connecticut news legend. RIP.

Her husband is somewhat of a local gadfly in Branford; very odd pairing.

Condolences to her family.
 
Last edited:
One of the reasons I enjoyed 3's news. Our prayers go out to her family. She will be sorely missed each evening by her viewing audience. She came through as the person she was - kind, decent and caring, someone who really enjoyed telling people what was happening without any kind of a agenda.
 
2Infinity said:
In an era where many anchors allow their opinions to influence their reporting, Denise was always a true professional. She didn’t compromise her integrity by bowing to this pervasive trend. Beyond that, she had a warmth to her that you could feel, all while maintaining her professionalism...a real balancing act duplicated by so few. She will be missed! Thoughts and prayers to her daughter and husband at this very tough time.
Expand ...
What a great description of who she really was. Thank you.
 
Southern Fairfield County where New Haven (WTNH), Local News 12, and at times NBC CT (WVIT) is where we get most of our CT news. But we do get WFSB down here and we all know who she is! As for me she's the only anchor I really know at WFSB, which speaks to her mastering her craft.

Legend Lost! Damn, so young too.
 
Last edited:
Obviously I haven't watch CT news since we moved to Florida over 3 years ago. But this is a shocker!. Always enjoyed her as an anchor.

At 61, she was way too young to leave us. RIP Denise.
 
I couldn't believe this when I heard about her passing. I literally watched her on the news just nights before and was a regular viewer.

She was that woman that no one could say a bad thing about. RIP Denise - CT loved you.
 
I’m so saddened by this. I haven’t watched the local news since I was maybe 10 or 12- that’s just about twenty-five years ago- but growing up, we were a WFSB family and Denise and Gerry Brooks were our news team. I remember dad cooking dinner, me doing homework, the tv set to the news and Denise bringing us the stories of the day, every day. She was the quintessential news anchor. She was perfect. No flaws at all (except being a Syracuse grad). Always prepared, professional, clear, full of integrity and grace. You trusted everything she said. Never a bias. Not like today. She delivered news. Not news with opinion. And she was great at it. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Though I haven’t watched for a long time, if I happened to hear her voice without seeing the screen, I knew it was her and she was giving the news straight, as it should be, just as she always did for so many years. Easily, for me, the most recognizable local tv personality.

I’ll miss her, in part because a link to childhood memories is gone, but her passing also makes me think about my parents’ mortality. Denise was a year younger than my mother and a year older than my father. In the greater picture, I’ll also miss her for what she represented as a news anchor and how her job was done.

RIP Denise.
 
Last edited:
MattMang23 said:
I’m so saddened by this. I haven’t watched the local news since I was maybe 10 or 12- that’s just about twenty-five years ago- but growing up, we were a WFSB family and Denise and Gerry Brooks were our news team. I remember dad cooking dinner, me doing homework, the tv set to the news and Denise bringing us the stories of the day, every day. She was the quintessential news anchor. She was perfect. No flaws at all (except being a Syracuse grad). Always prepared, professional, clear, full of integrity and grace. You trusted everything she said. Never a bias. Not like today. She delivered news. Not news with opinion. And she was great at it. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Though I haven’t watched for a long time, if I happened to hear her voice without seeing the screen, I knew it was her and she was giving the news straight, as it should be, just as she always did for so many years. Easily, for me, the most recognizable local tv personality.

I’ll miss her, in part because a link to childhood memories is gone, but her passing also makes me think about my parents’ mortality. Denise was a year younger than my mother and a year older than my father. In the greater picture, I’ll also miss her for what she represented as a news anchor and how her job was done.

RIP Denise.
Expand ...


Good post. One thing to remember as you go through your 30's and 40's, don't spend it worrying about who is going to start dying on you. I tend to do that and knock on wood, everyone is still here as of today.

Denise likely had some sort of sudden medical event that was based more in genetics and/or dumb luck than age. She was a thin, healthy looking woman, which makes it more surprising. However, I know plenty of overweight and generally unhealthy people 20 years older than her. I've been feeling the same anxiety as my parents and in laws age into their early to mid 70's. They won't be here forever, but they might be here longer than I think, so I need to just enjoy them and not worry about it.
 
Hoophound said:
Good post. One thing to remember as you go through your 30's and 40's, don't spend it worrying about who is going to start dying on you. I tend to do that and knock on wood, everyone is still here as of today.

Denise likely had some sort of sudden medical event that was based more in genetics and/or dumb luck than age. She was a thin, healthy looking woman, which makes it more surprising. However, I know plenty of overweight and generally unhealthy people 20 years older than her. I've been feeling the same anxiety as my parents and in laws age into their early to mid 70's. They won't be here forever, but they might be here longer than I think, so I need to just enjoy them and not worry about it.
Expand ...

That’s good advice. Thanks. I don’t dwell on thinking about when people around me will go, it’s just that events like this make me nervous. Then that feeling goes away when I see my sixty year old dad carry fifty pound pavers two at a time to build a walkway at his house like he did this past summer. The man’s a beast with forearms like Popeye.
 
MattMang23 said:
That’s good advice. Thanks. I don’t dwell on thinking about when people around me will go, it’s just that events like this make me nervous. Then that feeling goes away when I see my sixty year old dad carry fifty pound pavers two at a time to build a walkway at his house like he did this past summer. The man’s a beast with forearms like Popeye.
Expand ...
I remember my grandfather at about the same age effortless carrying two 50lb pounds of concrete over one shoulder.

#oldmanstrong
 
My grandfather was a beast as well. A well built veteran that did a lot of construction and concrete work. He was walking 20 miles per day in Florida summer heat at age 72. It was discovered that he had a brain aneurysm and that it was a time bomb if not fixed. He had a stroke during the surgery and was gone a year or two later. We just don't know, doesn't matter if we are 80 or 12, our time can always be up.
 
Towney007 said:
Man this is so awful - does anyone know what happened?
Expand ...
Article in New Haven Register today said she died in her sleep and family suspects that she had a massive heart attack.
 
MattMang23 said:
I’m so saddened by this. I haven’t watched the local news since I was maybe 10 or 12- that’s just about twenty-five years ago- but growing up, we were a WFSB family and Denise and Gerry Brooks were our news team. I remember dad cooking dinner, me doing homework, the tv set to the news and Denise bringing us the stories of the day, every day. She was the quintessential news anchor. She was perfect. No flaws at all (except being a Syracuse grad). Always prepared, professional, clear, full of integrity and grace. You trusted everything she said. Never a bias. Not like today. She delivered news. Not news with opinion. And she was great at it. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. Though I haven’t watched for a long time, if I happened to hear her voice without seeing the screen, I knew it was her and she was giving the news straight, as it should be, just as she always did for so many years. Easily, for me, the most recognizable local tv personality.

I’ll miss her, in part because a link to childhood memories is gone, but her passing also makes me think about my parents’ mortality. Denise was a year younger than my mother and a year older than my father. In the greater picture, I’ll also miss her for what she represented as a news anchor and how her job was done.

RIP Denise.
Expand ...
Hoophound said:
Good post. One thing to remember as you go through your 30's and 40's, don't spend it worrying about who is going to start dying on you. I tend to do that and knock on wood, everyone is still here as of today.

Denise likely had some sort of sudden medical event that was based more in genetics and/or dumb luck than age. She was a thin, healthy looking woman, which makes it more surprising. However, I know plenty of overweight and generally unhealthy people 20 years older than her. I've been feeling the same anxiety as my parents and in laws age into their early to mid 70's. They won't be here forever, but they might be here longer than I think, so I need to just enjoy them and not worry about it.
Expand ...
Whether it’s family, friends or a pet if you love them mortality sucks. Every moment with those you love is precious. It’s not a cliche. Embrace those moments.
 
8893 said:
Article in New Haven Register today said she died in her sleep and family suspects that she had a massive heart attack.
Expand ...
Wow.
 
Towney007 said:
Jesus that's bonkers.
Expand ...
Not that bonkers, one woman in the US dies every minute from heart disease. An old girlfriend of mine had a pontine hemmorrhage stroke in her mid 30's brought on by undiagnosed high blood pressure. That was pretty bonkers.
 
It would be nice if there was an inexpensive non-invasive way to scan for coronary blockages, not saying that this is what happened to her.
 
superjohn said:
Not that bonkers, one woman in the US dies every minute from heart disease. An old girlfriend of mine had a pontine hemmorrhage stroke in her mid 30's brought on by undiagnosed high blood pressure. That was pretty bonkers.
Expand ...

lol I can top that - my wife had a heart attack 7 months pregnant at 35. Good times, good times.

And before anyone asks yes - she and my daughter were fine. We were very lucky but incredibly scary. Her mother passed away from a pulmonary embolism at age 33 (she was a cardiologist at Creighton) when my wife was 3.

So I know lol.
 
CL82 said:
I remember my grandfather at about the same age effortless carrying two 50lb pounds of concrete over one shoulder.

#oldmanstrong
Expand ...
I'm the son of a brick- layer who had Popeye arms. Those bags were 80-90 pounds each.
 

Online statistics

Members online
262
Guests online
2,629
Total visitors
2,891
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Share This Page

Forum statistics

Threads
164,173
Messages
4,385,707
Members
10,193
Latest member
HuskiesFourLife


.
..
Top Bottom