Facebook/Twitter Left, Dennis House announcing Denise D'Ascenzo's death. Right, them together two days before her death.
When a co-anchor dies, it’s like a loss of a family member. And so it was left to Dennis House, who described Denise D’Ascenzo as his “tv wife,” to tell viewers that she had died, suddenly, unexpectedly.
House struggled to keep composure, his eyes welling with tears, and his voice cracking, as he revealed the sad news about Denise, the long-time WSFB-TV anchor and a news icon in Connecticut. She was only 61 years old. Her death has left people all over Connecticut heartbroken, as they remember her empathy, class, and grace.
Here’s the station’s video tribute. It starts with House tearfully announcing Denise’s death. Then, it replays an old tribute to Denise, which encompasses clips from her old broadcasts, information about the birth of her daughter, and an array of hairstyles copied by women all over Connecticut. It concludes with a moving story that Denise did on conjoined twins.
Denise’s family believes she died of a massive heart attack in her sleep.
“It’s extremely difficult to say,” said House, his voice cracking and his eyes filling with tears. She was my sister, my TV wife, my best friend here, and my co-anchor for 25 years.”
The station also announced Denise’s death in a story headlined, “Farewell, friend.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Denise & Dennis Were Close Friends
FacebookDenise D’Ascenzo
Denise died at her Connecticut home.
Over the years, Denise and Dennis were close friends. The station’s video remembrance indicated that Denise even gave a reading at Dennis’ wedding. He married Kara Sundlun, a television journalist who has worked as a reporter at the station. Kara has an interesting background. She was the love child of the former governor of Rhode Island before suing him to pay her college tuition as a teen, then forging a strong relationship with him. She’s spoken publicly about the saga.
WFSB sisters having fun in the newsroom: my tv wife @DeniseDAscenzo & real wife @karasundlun @WFSBnews http://t.co/45adif3WLt
Dennis shared a photo of Denise at a Christmas lights event just two days before she died. No one saw the looming tragedy coming. “Come on down and join us for Holiday Light Fantasia at Goodwin Park! I’m here with @karasundlun and @DeniseDAscenzo,” he wrote with that tweet. “It benefits @Channel3kCamp @WFSBnews and @NutmegStateFCU is a sponsor!”
Come on down and join us for Holiday Light Fantasia at Goodwin Park! I’m here with @karasundlun and @DeniseDAscenzo ! It benefits @Channel3kCamp @WFSBnews and @NutmegStateFCU is a sponsor!
Just two days later, the unthinkable.
“It was a sudden and unexpected death, and the grief we are all feeling is immeasurable,” House said on air, fighting back tears. “We are devastated for her husband and daughter, who were really her whole life.”
Dennis posted this picture with Denise only five days before she died.
RIGHT NOW on @WFSBnews @EvaZymaris is making a guest appearance on the evening news with breaking news on traffic from #WinterStormAbel
The station’s written announcement was similar.
“We have some heartbreaking news to share tonight,” the station wrote. “Denise D’Ascenzo passed away today. It was sudden and unexpected. The grief we are all feeling is immeasurable. We are devastated for her husband and daughter who were her whole life.”
Denise D’Ascenzo had been interested in journalism since she was a young child. 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.
She “was elected to the Silver Circle, a prestigious honor bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for significant contributions to broadcasting,” the station explained.
Dennis’s bio says he “got his start in television news at WPRI-TV in Providence, R.I., and then moved on to become the assignment manager at WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H. From there, he went to WREX-TV in Rockford, Ill., where he worked as a weekend anchor. One of his exclusive interviews was with Ronald Reagan. He was later a weekend sports anchor and news reporter at WWMT-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan.”
It adds: “Dennis was born and raised in Norwood, Massachusetts, and graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs from Assumption College.” He was born and raised in Norwood, Massachusetts.
D’Ascenzo left behind one child, a daughter named Kathryn. Her husband is named Wayne Cooke. “Denise and her husband, Wayne have a daughter, Kathryn. In her free time, Denise enjoys family outings, swimming, and hiking with her dogs,” her bio says.
On Twitter, D’Ascenzo described herself as “Anchor at WFSB, wife, mother, unofficial station nurse and dog lover.”
Denise announced that she was pregnant with Kathryn on air, saying, “I have some personal news that I’m going to share with you. I’m going to have a baby.” The station played the sound of a baby crying during the announcement.
Denise with Kathryn in a screenshot from the station’s video tribute.
Her daughter’s Facebook page says she is Student Research Assistant at 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.
READ NEXT: Learn more about Denise’s family.