ST. LOUIS — Deanne Lane, a longtime news anchor and reporter for KSDK in St. Louis, died at the age of 65 following a stroke earlier this week, former colleagues confirmed.
Lane joined KSDK in 1983 and quickly became known as the station’s “Night Beat” reporter, a role in which she covered major national and local news events including the Columbine shooting, the Oklahoma City bombing, Hurricane Katrina and the Kirkwood City Hall shooting. She spent nearly 27 years at the station, earning an Emmy Award for her journalism.
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KSDK General Manager Alicia Elsner made this statement about Deanne's life: "Deanne Lane was a beloved member of our KSDK family who brought truth, compassion, and integrity to every story she told."
“Deanne Lane was the best,” said John Pertzborn, a retired FOX 2 anchor who worked in the St. Louis television market for 40 years. “Professionally, she was the hardest worker, always striving to be better. She lived by the credo, ‘You’re only as good as your last story.’”
Pertzborn recalled Lane’s dedication to her craft, noting that she would review tapes of her newscasts to improve her performance.
“She cared immensely about her performance and her audience,” he said.
In addition to her reporting, Lane was active in community service, volunteering with organizations such as the St. Louis Area Food Bank, the Red Cross, St. Louis Effort for AIDS and the Special Olympics.
Dan Gray, a former newscaster at Fox2Now and KPLR11 who covered stories in the region for more than 50 years, expressed his sorrow over Lane’s death:
“I am heartbroken,” he said.
KSDK extended condolences to Lane’s family, friends, and former colleagues in a statement, saying they are thinking of them during this difficult time.
