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Our Friend MaryEllen

We'll Miss You,
Our Friend and Founder, MaryEllen

Contributions can be made to:

MaryEllen Locher Memorial Fund
Box 4032
Chattanooga, TN 37405

Donations to this fund will be distributed to causes close to MaryEllen's heart.

     MaryEllen Locher, co-anchor for WTVC News Channel 9 for 20 years, passed away Thursday, June 9, 2005, at her home surrounded by her family.

     It is not often in this life that one is blessed to be touched by someone whose very presence shines a ray of hope and faith to the darkest corners of the world around her.

     Today, the Tennessee Valley grieves the loss of a truly inspiring and greatly loved community leader, news personality, wife, mother and friend. To her family, she was Cissy; to the rest of those she knew and loved, she was Mel, or MaryEllen.

     She was born MaryEllen Locher on Dec. 14, 1959, in Johnstown, Pa., to the late George Thomas Locher and surviving mother Zora Gjurich Locher.

     From the time her personality began to emerge, it was obvious that this energetic little girl with naturally curly hair was going to make her presence known in this world. With a quick wit and a mischievous twinkle in her eye she took on life with vigor, compassion and humor. She graduated from Conemaugh Valley High School in 1977 and continued her education at Penn State, graduating in 1981 with a major in communications.

     She began her career as a reporter at WJAC in Johnstown shortly thereafter and then moved on to WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio. From there, in 1985, she came to the Tennessee Valley as Chattanooga's first health reporter at WTVC where she became the co-anchor of the area's leading news team.

     While working as a health reporter, she was diagnosed with cancer and began a battle that would last nearly 20 years.

     Mel knew that these years were a gift, and she made it her goal to touch as many people as she could with hope and to spend her time doing God's work.

     She and her husband, David, were married in 1988 and gave birth to their son, Alex, in 1989. Much of her time and effort was spent in seeing that he understood how precious life was, and that he knew that God was in charge and would never fail him.

     Her efforts to make this world a better place and minister to those who struggle with life's challenges were evident in her accomplishments.

     She received numerous awards for her work in journalism and she was a founding member of the Chattanooga Make-A-Wish foundation. She started a program called Hats from the Heart, providing comfortable and stylish hats for those who lost their hair while battling cancer. This program is now in hospitals all across America.

     And no one's heart was bigger than Mel's, especially for the children. More recently she established the Children of Breast Cancer Fund to provide much needed funding to help the children of those women fighting breast cancer.

     She was most recently honored when Memorial Hospital named its new breast center the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center at Memorial. It was an honor that humbled her greatly.

     Mel never met a stranger. Her position in the public eye brought many people to her door and she always seemed to have time for them. Whether it was a phone call from an unknown friend fighting cancer, or a letter from a fledgling journalist, she took her responsibility to them seriously and gave all she could give.

     MaryEllen was a fighter and fought to the very end. Her faith in God was evident to all who knew her. She once said, "Life isn't easy. ... Not for anyone." But she made no apologies for her faith in Christ and encouraged those around her to put their trust in Him and accept His gift of eternal life.

     Those whose life MaryEllen touched will all agree, she leaves behind an eternal peace in all of us that will never fade, and we are better for it.

     She is survived by her husband, David; son, Alex; stepson, Justin; her mother; sisters, Linda Locher Leckrone of Nashville and Judy Locher of Philadelphia; and brothers, G. Thomas Locher Jr. of Johnstown and Richard Locher of Philadelphia.

Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Hixson United Methodist Church, officiated by the Rev. Mark Davis and the Rev. Randy Martin.

     In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the MaryEllen Locher Memorial Fund, Box 4032, Chattanooga, TN 37405. Donations to this fund will be distributed to causes close to MaryEllen's heart.

Channel 9's MaryEllen Locher

News Channel 9 - ABC WTVC
Chattanooga, TN
June 9, 2005

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague MaryEllen Locher.

As many of you already know, MaryEllen had been battling cancer for quite some time now.

For 20 years, Mel shared her infectious smile, charisma and professionalism with the NewsChannel 9 family and you.

MaryEllen passed at her home Thursday (June 9, 2005) at the age of 45... surrounded by her family.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her husband David and son Alex.

MaryEllen's death comes just two days after the announcement of her retirement from WTVC NewsChannel 9 after almost 20 years as reporter, then anchor-reporter.

As we at NewsChannel 9 suffer over this announcement, our thoughts and prayers are centered on David, Alex and the rest of MaryEllen's family. We know our viewers will understand how difficult it will be maintaining our professionalism while presenting the day's news," said news director Tom Henderson.

"Today is a sad day. The NewsChannel 9 family has lost a loved associate and the Tennessee Valley has lost a true icon and good person. We have to remember that David and Alex have said goodbye to a loving wife and mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and all of MaryEllen's family and close friends." said Mike Costa, WTVC Vice President and General Manager.

During her career at NewsChannel 9, the station benefited greatly from her hard work and success. MaryEllen won awards for Best Newscast, Best News Team, and Best News Series Reporter by the Tennessee Associated Press. Viewers responded by keeping NewsChannel 9's newscasts top rated.

MaryEllen has battled cancer since its first occurrence sixteen years ago. Her personal experiences with the disease have influenced her civic commitments. She founded the not for profit Hats from the Heart program, giving free hats to cancer patients onsite at cancer treatment centers. MaryEllen also founded Children of Breast Cancer Foundation (link below). This non-profit organization provides endowment money to public colleges and universities for children who have lost a mother to breast cancer.

MaryEllen most recently was honored by Memorial Hospital with the naming of their Breast Cancer Center as The MaryEllen Locher Breast Center at Memorial. The goal of the center, according to Memorial Hospital, is to streamline the patient's experience with the best care possible as expeditiously as possible. It will combine the latest in technological and clinical advances with an emphasis on the whole person - body, mind and spirit. Construction of the center is set to begin no later than July 2006.

Service information for MaryEllen Locher:

Friends and family will gather Saturday, June 11th between 4 and 8 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 East Brainerd Road.

The Celebration Service for MaryEllen's life is 3 p.m. Sunday, June 12th at Hixson United Methodist Church, 5301 Old Hixson Pike.

Hixson United Methodist Church has made the following arrangements for those wishing to remember and honor MaryEllen by attending her services:

-- Parking will be available at all church lots, as well as Hixson Middle School and Hixson ballfields. Shuttle transportation will be provided to and from the church.

-- Child care will be available in the church nursery.

-- If the church sanctuary is filled, overflow seating will be available, with a live a video feed, in the Christian Life Center.

MaryEllen's family requests in lieu of flowers memorial contributions be sent to:

MaryEllen Locher Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 4032
Chattanooga, TN 37405

MaryEllen's family requests respect for their privacy at this difficult hour.

VIEW THURSDAY'S 6:00 NEWS, DEDICATED TO MARYELLEN LOCHER

The following videos are from News Channel 9 WTVC in Chattanooga, TN:

Click HERE for Bob Johnson on MaryEllen's Legacy

Click HERE for MaryEllen Locher's Family Remembers

Click HERE for a Retrospective Video of Mel's Career

Click HERE to learn more about the MaryEllen Locher Cancer Center

Click HERE for a video on the Children of Breast Cancer (now MaryEllen Locher Foundation®)

SEND A MESSAGE

If you would like to send an e-mail to MaryEllen's family, please CLICK HERE . We are sorry but we will be unable to respond to your e-mails, however you can rest assured that we will provide each and every e-mail to MaryEllen's husband, David, and her son, Alex.

If you wish you can sign up to a Google News Group dedicated to MaryEllen. After signing up, you can provide a message which will be screened and posted by News Group Moderators. Anyone can view messages at THIS WEBSITE . To provide a message, click on "Join This Group" at the top of the screen.

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