A veteran North Carolina journalist known for being the face of the famed Raleigh’s Christmas Parade has died just months after a shock cancer diagnosis.
Longtime news anchor Donna Gregory was surrounded by loved ones when she passed away on Tuesday following a battle with stage 4 lung cancer which began in April.
Her death was confirmed by her brother and a coworker, with WWAY 3 announcing ‘the heartbreaking news of the loss of our beloved veteran news anchor’.
After earning her college degree at Southern Illinois University, Gregory began work as a news anchor in Oklahoma.
She then co-anchored at WRAL from 1988 to 1996, she notably hosted the annual Raleigh’s Christmas Parade which draws in nearly 80,000 visitors as well as the NCAA‘s Final Four Basketball tournaments.
She also hosted a special about teen pregnancy in North Carolina called Kids Having Kids before her most recent position as a nighttime anchor at WWAY.
A former colleague, Julia Sims Milstead, told the News & Observer that Gregory ‘was a force’ and ‘fought cancer with all her might’.
‘As a new reporter back in the day at WRAL, I was blown away by her. Nothing rattled her. Nothing. And as a person, boy, she loved her four children.
Longtime news anchor Donna Gregory died ‘surrounded by loved ones’ just months after she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in April
Gregory worked at WRAL from 1988 and notably covered the annual Raleigh’s Christmas Parade which draws nearly 80,000 visitors
‘Her children, her family, and her faith were so important. I always admire that about her,’ Milstead added. ‘We are all heartbroken today.’
Another longtime anchor, Frances Scott from WTVD, described Gregory as ‘such a light’ and recalled how she had comforted Scott in 2012 after undergoing surgery.
‘After my first surgery,’ Scott posted on Facebook. ‘She brought my family lasagna and brisket and BBQ and so much yummy food.
‘After I left work and was feeling really sick and down and having trouble on my feet or processing why I was doing so horribly, physically and cognitively, Donna took my kids and me to her place at the beach.
‘I laid on the beach with her daughter, and we all laughed and took pictures of the seagulls snatching Goldfish crackers.
‘It was a great day in the middle of a dark time.’
Gregory had shared her cancer journey with viewers and announced she would be off the air for a while confronting her illness.
She shared a special message with the outlet’s viewers after receiving her diagnosis and said: ‘I will be off the air for a while so I can undergo the treatment protocol doctors create. My plan is to get stronger and healthier each day, and prayers help, always.
She is remembered by her children, Sam, Callan, Avery, and Everett, her grandchildren, Hayes and Coley, and her daughter in law, Amanda, and son in law, Shane
Her daughter in law, Amanda, wrote a tribute on Instagram which read: ‘Through every phase, she never judged me, only loved me, and I’ll miss her so much – her laughter, her silliness, and Donna-isms, her fierce love’
‘There is a breeze of beauty in all of this,’ as she thanked her ‘Angels disguised as friends’ and family.
Gregory last posted on her Facebook page that she was back in the hospital, she wrote: ‘You can’t make this stuff up! I’m baaaaccckkkk! More breathing troubles so I guess we are gonna try something new.
‘I’ll keep you posted and as always, I appreciate your good wishes and prayers. You all are so sweet and kind.’
Gregory’s chemotherapy was set to be finalized in July before doctor’s decided it needed to continue, she later wound up back in the hospital with lung inflammation and pancreatitis.
Her daughter in law, Amanda, wrote a tribute on Instagram which read: ‘Through every phase, she never judged me, only loved me, and I’ll miss her so much – her laughter, her silliness, and Donna-isms, her fierce love.
‘Thank you, Donna, for everything – for your love, your wisdom, your joy, and for making me feel like I truly belonged with open arms. You’ll always be a part of my heart, and I’ll carry your love with me forever.’
Her son, Everett, shared a tribute on Instagram which said: ‘My hero since day 1. I love you mom. You are apart of me and I promise to make you proud every single day’
Gregory shared a special message with the outlet’s viewers after receiving her diagnosis and said: ‘I will be off the air for a while so I can undergo the treatment protocol doctors create. My plan is to get stronger and healthier each day, and prayers help, always’
As of early October, she posted to Facebook that her lung inflammation was putting a pause on her chemotherapy and needed to be resolved before her treatment could begin again.
Her son, Everett, shared a tribute on Instagram which said: ‘My hero since day 1. I love you mom. You are apart of me and I promise to make you proud every single day.’
Her children wrote a tribute on Facebook that said Gregory was ‘the heart of every room she entered, always making everyone feel welcome and at ease’.
‘We always knew we could count on her to drop everything for us, answer every question, and ground us in her strong faith,’ it said.
‘We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support during her illness and look forward to expressing our gratitude personally in the days to come.’
She is remembered by her children, Sam, Callan, Avery, and Everett, her grandchildren, Hayes and Coley, and her daughter in law, Amanda, and son in law, Shane.
