Ana Orsini, Arizona News Anchor, Passes Away at 28 Due to Brain Aneurysm
During a broadcast on Monday, co-anchors Tyler Butler and Carsyn Currier shared the news of her passing while wearing pink to commemorate her, along with a video montage featuring their favorite memories of Orsini.
“Ana joined 13 News in June 2023, and we are heartbroken by her sudden loss,” KOLD 13 expressed on the station’s website.
Her colleagues remembered her as “a person of endless empathy who consistently advocated for ‘the little guy.’”
“She radiated positivity, especially towards her newest and youngest coworkers, and was known across all the newsrooms she touched for mentoring them both personally and professionally,” the station noted.
“Rescue animals were her passion, and whether it was celebrating Fur Baby Friday or working tirelessly to find homes for animals in need, her enthusiasm never waned. She was a joyful spirit, loving peanut butter M&Ms, wearing platform Uggs, and toting around her pink or purple Stanley, even at 4:00 AM.”
Originally from Denver, Colorado, Orsini began her career in journalism after graduating from Texas A&M University in College Station in 2018, holding a degree in journalism along with double minors in communication and sports management, as noted in her station biography.
Before KOLD 13, she served as an anchor and reporter at an unnamed station in Lubbock, Texas, where she covered a range of stories from “Texas Tech basketball to an extensive investigative series on a bridal shop scam,” according to her profile.
“She was brave and fearless, knowing how to lead a newsroom with just a glance,” Ashe Hajek, a former producer for NewsWatch 12 “This Morning,” stated in a report. “Ana was one of the most empathetic individuals I have ever encountered, a sentiment reflected in every facet of her life. She led with honesty and a heart filled with love for those in her newsroom, community, and beyond.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Orsini family during this incredibly tragic period. As a parent, I can only imagine their heartbreak over the sudden and untimely loss of Ana. Her positive influence on those around her will be felt for a lifetime. Ana, you are, and will always be, dearly missed.”
“Though our time together during the morning show was too brief, it was a genuine pleasure to work alongside her,” he recalled.
Orsini’s family shared with KOLD 13 News that they wish for her to be remembered “as the bright, cheerful person she was.”
To honor Orsini’s memory, her family requests that those who wish to pay tribute consider “donating to your local animal shelter—Ana never met a dog she didn’t love!”