Beloved NBC Washington reporter Derrick Ward dead at 62: Always made me smile

A veteran reporter at a Washington, DC, TV station has died due to complications from a recent cardiac arrest, the news outlet said Wednesday. Derrick Ward, who had worked for NBC4 Washington since 2006, was 62 years old.“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Derrick Ward, Sr.,” his family said in a statement.“As a distinguished journalist, Derrick’s storytelling, prolific writing, warmth, and humor touched countless lives.

Our children and our entire family will miss him dearly.”The DC native began his career as a radio journalist at local stations before moving to television – covering stories throughout that included the Sept.11 attack on the Pentagon and the DC sniper attacks in 2002.As a radio journalist, Ward worked for WPFW, WAMU and WTOP.

He made his television debut at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York before returning to DC to join NBC4 Washington in 2006.Ward was raised in the Marshall Heights and H Street Corridor area of DC.He lived through the 1968 riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination – later recalling his experience for a 40th anniversary special produced by NBC4 Washington, according to the outlet.

He graduated from the University of Maryland.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.“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 guit...