Who Was Neena Pacholke? Morning News Anchor Dead At 27 By Apparent Suicide

News presenter Neena Pacholke passed away on Saturday, August 27, at 27 years of age. Pacholke worked as a news anchor at WAOW News 9 in Wausau, Wisconsin and died in an apparent suicide.

Neena Pacholke was a news anchor and former college basketball player. Her older sister, Kaitlynn Pacholke confirmed her death. The Wausau Police Department and Marathon County Medical Examiner’s Office are investigating her death.

Pacholke’s sister confirmed that the news anchor took her own life and described her late sister as, “the happiest person I thought I knew.” She added, “Sometimes you just don’t know what people are going through, no matter how much you think you know someone.”

Who Was Neena Pacholke?

• Neena Pacholke was a news anchor and former basketball player who was born and raised in Tampa, Florida.
• She worked at Wisconsin’s WAOW-TV News 9 and the team posted a tribute to the late anchor on their website and said they were devastated by Pacholke’s death.
• The tribute described her as a "kind person with a big heart and a contagious smile" and added that they would miss her.
• Both sisters Neena and Kaitlynn Pacholke were point guards and teammates on the Freedom High School basketball squad. Their mother Laurie coached the team. The sisters helped lead the team to a state tournament in 2013.
• Pacholke was also a former college athlete and she was the point guard for the University of South Florida (USF) women’s basketball team. By the time she graduated, Pacholke served as the point guard on the team for three seasons.
• Her former team the Bulls shared a tribute on social media. The USF basketball team wrote, “The Bulls are heartbroken to learn of the sudden loss of our beloved former teammate Neena Pacholke (2013-16).”
• Brendan Mackey, Pacholke’s co-anchor paid tribute to the late presenter and said, “She was so happy and so full of life and a role model.” Mackey added that being her co-anchor was an honour.
• Pacholke is survived by her mother, father, sister, and fiance.

Suggested Reading: What Was Wisconsin Morning News Anchor Neena Pacholke's Death Reason?