Memories of Mel: MaryEllenLocher 1959-2005

Ten years ago this week, we lost someone very special.  I never got to know WTVC anchor MaryEllen Locher as well as I would have liked. In the world of local TV news, those of us who work as Channel 3 anchors see each other every day. I’ve seen Cindy Sexton and Paul Barys thousands of times over the years, day in and day out. There just aren’t many opportunities to mingle with “the competition.”

I first met “Mel,” as her friends called her, at Riverbend in 1988. She was friendly, and of course quite beautiful. I found out that she and my wife Cindy had Penn State in common, before they both moved south for broadcasting jobs. After that, I only saw her a handful of times in person, including her wedding and that of a co-worker or two. Again, always friendly, always beautiful.

Like every other news viewer in Chattanooga, I would occasionally notice her absence from the Channel 9 anchor desk, often for weeks at a time. When one is on TV each day, there are no secrets, and soon it became public knowledge that Mel was battling cancer. As I recall, she was barely thirty when she was first diagnosed. It came and it went a few times over the years, and for long stretches we were hopeful she had beaten the disease. But as is too often the case, it would return with a vengeance.

Mel’s life ended at the age of 45, on June 9, 2005. She was survived by a loving husband, a young son, and thousands of friends. This was in the pre-Facebook era, so these were real friends, not virtual ones. They had hung on every word about her condition, they had sent her cards, and they had donated comfortable and stylish hats for fellow cancer patients (“Hats from the Heart,” one of Mel’s pet causes). I was particularly touched by this excerpt from her obituary: 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. So true.

Her longtime co-anchor Bob Johnson was among the speakers at her memorial service. He paid tribute to “My good friend, my buddy. She had such a good heart.” He told me that in the male-dominated newsroom of the 1980s, “She was one of the guys. She could tell a joke, she could take a joke. No big ego, no pretensions. Just a smart, fun lady.”

Here is a video tribute:

I’ve made more than a hundred talks during the past couple of years about my local radio/TV book, visiting various churches and clubs. I show a few photos from the book on the big screen, and MaryEllen’s photo always makes folks tear up a bit. They haven’t gotten over her yet. When you invite someone into your home, night after night, they’re like family. When MaryEllen left us, we lost a friend. One we had cheered on and pulled for. We sure were proud when she devoted so much of her time, that she knew might be limited, to causes that would help others in their personal battles. She was a founding member of Chattanooga’s Make A Wish Foundation, which has helped so many ailing young people see their dreams come true.

Today, her name lives on, as it will forever at Memorial Hospital’s MaryEllen Locher Breast Center. The folks who established it, and who run it today, are committed to excellence. My wife tells me the people who work there are especially good at people skills, making visitors feel comfortable.

Established in 2007, the center meets MaryEllen’s original vision of making the breast cancer journey easier for all women. Working alongside Memorial Hospital, she provided insight and inspiration for the development of a breast center that would combine the best possible medical care in an atmosphere of calm and understanding. Reducing the time between diagnosis and treatment was her primary goal.

It’s a great tribute to have your name attached to a health care facility with a solid reputation. Mel deserves nothing less.

UPDATE, June 8, 2015:  After this story appeared, many people asked me how MaryEllen and David’s son Alex Burd is doing.  Here is what he told me: “I graduated from the University of Alabama in 2012,  and went straight to law school at Jones School of Law in Montgomery, where I just graduated a month ago. I got married last weekend to my beautiful wife, Lacy. We met at Alabama in 2009 and have been together since. We are moving back to Chattanooga, and I am currently studying for the Tennessee Bar Exam. Thank you for asking!”

Here are a couple of photos, one of Alex and Lacy, and the other with Alex and some of MaryEllen’s friends at a recent shower.  Congratulations Alex on all your accomplishments, and best of luck to you and Lacy in the future!

Alex and Lacy Burd

Alex Burd, surrounded by friends.