Filipino American WNBC Reporter Katherine Creag ‘Suddenly’ Passes Away at 47

Creag’s network confirmed her death on Feb. 11, but WNBC has yet to release the cause, stating the reporter had not been ill and was last seen working the morning of Feb. 10, according to NBC New York.

“For ten years Kat was one of our cornerstones, always willing to help in any situation, whether it was a colleague in need or a shift that needed to be covered,” Amy Morris, vice president of news at WNBC, said in an email sent to staff. “She was thoughtful, funny and relentless. And even on the toughest days she was a bright light, quick with a kind word and a smile.”

Creag was born in Manila, Philippines and graduated from New York University in 1996. She worked at Fox News for five years before joining the NBC team in 2011, where she won or shared multiple awards, including the Emmys, AP and Edward R. Murrow Awards.

Creag is known for her boundless energy and her passion for good Filipino food. She is also known for her work ethic, as evident in her Twitter bio: “Sleep, what’s that?! I go to work when you’re coming home from the club.”

Many of her colleagues in New York expressed their condolences on Twitter after hearing the news of her sudden passing, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, People reported.

She is survived by her husband of 14 years, Bill Gafner, and her young children, a son and two daughters.

In a portion of TODAY, Creag’s colleague Darlene Rodriguez paid tribute to the “extraordinary” and “amazing” reporter that left too soon.

“We (her colleagues) are just wrapping our arms around her husband and kids and showing them all the love that we can,” Rodriguez said.

Feature Image Screenshots via Today