Obituaries : Shayna Joan Tucker; Television News Writer

Shayna Joan Tucker, a news writer for KNBC-TV Channel 4 in Burbank, died Thursday at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo. She was 43.

Tucker, born Feb. 14, 1953, in Catskill, N.Y., was involved in television news for about 15 years, said Stan Weinstock, a news producer and writer at KNBC. She had been a medical reporter at KCOP-TV Channel 13 in Los Angeles and an anchorwoman at a station in Tennessee.

In 1988, Tucker joined KNBC as a general assignment news writer, Weinstock said. For the station’s coverage of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Tucker produced feature pieces and athlete profiles for sports anchor Fred Roggin.

Tucker, who lived in Ventura, was also a devoted mother to her 1-year-old daughter Melissa, Weinstock said. “She became a mother last summer and ended up turning down a bunch of work to spend time with her daughter,” he said.

Jim Maria, an assignment desk editor at KNBC, called Tucker “one of the best writers on the staff.”

At the time of her death, Tucker was undergoing experimental cancer treatment at UCLA, Maria said. “It was a real promising drug and she was real excited about being part of the program.

“It worked wonders on shrinking the tumors, but apparently took her lungs,” Maria said.

In addition to her daughter, Tucker is survived by her husband, Steve.

Arrangements are under the direction of Guardian Memorial Funeral Directors, Oxnard.