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Katherine Creag
BornDecember 26, 1973
Manila, Philippines
DiedFebruary 10, 2021(2021-02-10) (aged 47)
New York City, U.S [1]
Alma materNew York University
OccupationTelevision journalist
Years active1996–2021
Spouse
Bill Gafner
​
(m. 2006)​
Children3

Katherine Creag Gafner (December 26, 1973 – February 10, 2021) was a Filipino-American television journalist. She worked for WNBC for a decade prior to her death. Before that, she worked for NY1, WTVH, and WNYW. She won several awards for her journalism.

Early life and education

Creag was born in Manila, Philippines[2] on December 26, 1973, to[3] Valentino and Cecilia Creag.[4] The family eventually moved to Warsaw, Indiana,[4][5] and she went to high school in Chicago.[5] She attended New York University for her undergraduate degree in journalism, and graduated in 1996.[6][7][8]

Career

Creag started her news career at the NY1 channel in New York City.[6] There, she reported on the 7th on Sixth fashion shows, TWA Flight 800, and the trials stemming from the Crown Heights riot. She later recounted that the most memorable interview she conducted during her tenure there was with John F. Kennedy Jr.[5] She went on to work for WTVH (CBS 5) in Syracuse, New York, from 1998 until 2000.[6] After leaving CBS, Creag was employed by WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as KDFW (Fox 4) in Dallas.[5][6] She worked for WNYW (Fox 5 New York) starting in March 2005. She reported for the channel's Good Day New York and Fox 5 Midday newscasts.[5]

Beginning in 2011, Creag became a news reporter for WNBC television in New York City.[2][9] She reported primarily for Today in New York, the channel's morning news show that aired from 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., and again at 11:00 a.m.[10] She also worked on the Saturday and Sunday programs Weekend Today in New York and News 4 New York at 6:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.[11][12]

Awards

Throughout her career, Creag received several awards – both shared and outright[2] – for her individual reporting and as part of a news team.[13] These included an Emmy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, and an Associated Press award.[2][13][14]

Personal life

Creag married Bill Gafner on September 2, 2006, at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan.[4] The couple had two daughters and one son.[2][9]

Death

Creag died on the night of February 10, 2021. She was 47, and was not ill prior to her death.[2][15]

Creag's cause of death was announced as a result of a sudden cardiopulmonary incident.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Katherine Creag, longtime WNBC/4 reporter, dies at 47". News Today. February 12, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Fieldstadt, Elisha (February 11, 2021). "NBC New York reporter Katherine Creag dies suddenly at 47". NBC News. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Woman Who Grew Up In Warsaw, Worked As A NYC TV Reporter, Dies Unexpectedly". InkFreeNews.com. February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Weddings/Celebrations; Katherine Creag, William Gafner". The New York Times. September 3, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Katherine Creag". WNYW. June 15, 2007. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d Herbert, Geoff (February 11, 2021). "Former Syracuse TV reporter Katherine Creag dies suddenly at 47". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  7. ^ Evans, Greg (February 11, 2021). "Katherine Creag Dies: WNBC 'Today In New York' Reporter Was 47". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  8. ^ "NYU Journalism Alumni report on the COVID-19 pandemic". NYU Journalism. May 12, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Eustachewich, Lia (February 11, 2021). "NBC New York reporter Katherine Creag dies suddenly at 47". New York Post. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Spocchia, Gino (February 11, 2021). "Katherine Creag: TV news anchor dies aged 47". The Independent. London. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  11. ^ "Filipino-American Television Journalist, Katherine Creag Dies At 47". February 11, 2021.
  12. ^ "Katherine Creag". February 14, 2013.
  13. ^ a b McShane, Larry (February 11, 2021). "'Worked tirelessly for our city': Veteran NYC NBC reporter Katherine Creag, familiar face for morning viewers, dies suddenly at 47". New York Post. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  14. ^ Barmash, Jerry (February 4, 2011). "Veteran Reporter Katherine Creag Joins WNBC". Fishbowl NY. Ad Week. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  15. ^ "News 4 Reporter Katherine Creag Passes Away Suddenly". WNBC. February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Katherine Gafner avis de décès - New York, NY". Dignity Memorial (in French). Retrieved February 14, 2021.
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