Elise Finch, a longtime meteorologist for WCBS in New York, died over the weekend at the age of 51.
CBS-New York announced the news of her passing in a statement on Sunday. The station said Finch passed away at a local hospital, but did not disclose her cause of death.
“Elise was a gifted and consummate professional who took great care with her work,” the station said in a statement. “She was also a wonderful ambassador in the community, including her hometown of Mount Vernon. Above all, Elise was a fiercely loving and devoted mother to her daughter Grace and wife to Graig Henriques, who is a photojournalist at WCBS.”
Finch last appeared on air Friday (July 14), leaving viewers and colleagues shocked by her sudden passing.
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WCBS anchor Jessica Moore got choked up on-air as she announced Finch’s death. Moore also shared a heartfelt message about her colleague on social media.
“Elise was fiercely loyal to those she loved, a straight shooter, a consummate professional, and made me laugh until I cried,” Moore wrote on Twitter. “But above all she was completely devoted to her family, especially her daughter Grace. I love you so much, my friend. Heaven now has an angel like no other.”
Other colleagues remembered Finch as a cherished friend and music fan. During her tenure at WCBS, Finch not only delivered weather forecasts but also had the opportunity to interview countless talented music artists for the network.
Finch had a 16-year run at WCBS, first joining the station in 2007 as a weekend meteorologist. She most recently worked on the morning news.
Prior to her time at WCBS, Finch worked at NBC as a meteorologist for the Early Today Show, MSNBC, and NBC Weather Plus.
Before joining NBC, she served as a weekend weather anchor at a CBS affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona, and also worked as an anchor and reporter at CBS and Fox affiliates in the Midwest.
Raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Finch attended Mount Vernon High School. She graduated from Georgetown University and earned a master of science degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University.
On Monday morning, WCBS aired a tribute to Finch featuring photos and footage from throughout her career.
“Elise Finch was our bright light in the morning,” the narrator said. “Her death is sudden and unexpected, leading us all trying to understand how this could happen to our beautiful Elise.”
“Truly every day was a good day when we were with Elise,” the tribute continued. “We will miss her.”
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