Bobbie Battista: 5 Things To Know About Ex-CNN Anchor, 67, Who Tragically Died Of Cervical Cancer

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Bobbie Battista, known for her work on CNN, passed away at the age of 67 on March 3 after battling cervical cancer for roughly four years. “Bobbie was the consummate trooper in her struggle with cancer, she was courageous and fearless in her battle and thoughtful for all the others in her life even as she fought through the pain,” Bobbie’s devoted husband, John Brimelow, said in a statement on the day of her passing. “My dear partner of 25 years of marriage has cut her earthly bonds and is now in peace.” Bobbie helped to pave the way for CNN in its early years and left an indelible mark on the network in her time. As she leaves behind an impressive legacy, here are five things you need to know about Bobbie Battista.

1) Bobbie was one of CNN’s original anchors. Bobbie joined CNN when the network first launched in 1981. She anchored a number of news shows and series for the network, including TalkBack Live in Atlanta. She also anchored CNN WorldDay, CNN NewsDay, CNN PrimeNews, and CNN WorldNews.

2) She covered some of America’s darkest days. “Whether the Challenger explosion, the assassination attack on [President Ronald] Reagan, the Gulf War, certainly this terrorist attack [September 11, 2001]. Those were memorable from the anchor desk,” she once said. “As far as TalkBack, we’ve had some serious shows, and some fun shows. If I had to pick, I’d say I liked Free for All Fridays the best,” she said of her favorite program she had the opportunity to be a part of.

3) Bobbie got her start in local news. After graduating with a degree in radio, television, and film production from North Western University, Bobbie began her career as an anchor and producer at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC. While there, she anchored the morning news and produced programming on sports, public events, and children’s television before joining CNN.

4) She was nominated for a number of honors. Throughout her career, Bobbie earned a slew of nominations for her on-camera reporting. She was nominated for Outstanding News Personality in 1984 by On Cable magazine, and in 1995 was nominated for the CableACE award for Best Newscaster. Among her wins, Bobbie earned the award for Best Newscaster in 1986 and received a Peabody Award in 1981 for writing and assistant producing the docu-series Fed Up With Fear.

5) She is survived by her husband and stepdaughter. Bobbie leaves behind her husband of roughly 25 years, John, and their step-daughter.