Illinois news anchor dies suddenly while on Florida vacation.
Lesley Swick Van Ness, a former news anchor for WGEM-TV in Illinois and executive for its corporate parent, Gray Television, died unexpectedly at the age of 42 while on vacation in Naples, Florida with her family. Van Ness became ill and was hospitalized, but no cause of death was released. She was remembered by colleagues as a commanding presence and a force to be reckoned with. Van Ness' funeral will take place at St. John's Anglican Parish in Quincy, Illinois on Monday.