FOX 5 remembers Jim Vance

WASHINGTON - Saturday was a sad day for the DC community, and especially for so many journalists who call this town home. We lost Jim Vance.

Vance, the longtime news anchor at NBC4 Washington, lost his brief battle with cancer, just a few months after announcing that he was undergoing treatment. He was 75 years old.

To call Vance a legend, as many of his fellow journalists would say, was an understatement. He anchored the 6 pm newscast on NBC4 for 45 years. He joined the WRC team as a reporter in 1969. He was a competitor, but he was also a hero and a friend to so many journalists who looked up to him for so long. For nearly 50 years, he covered every major story in Washington-- and he earned the respect of those around him.

As word spread of his passing, many of our FOX 5 staff shared their memories and condolences for Vance's friends and family.

Tony Perkins shared thoughts on Vance's passing on Facebook Live-- including a favorite story about the time he had to write a paper in college about one of his heroes. He picked Jim Vance, who was more than happy to lend a hand and be interviewed.

Allison Seymour tweeted, "Jim Vance will ALWAYS be the Gold Standard of Washington, DC news."

Shawn Yancy, who was out of town when the news broke, said on Facebook that the city has lost a giant. "I will miss his smile, I will miss his voice, I will miss his delivery, I will miss his laugh, I will miss his presence," she said.

Like so many who knew him, Steve Chenevey tweeted a treasured photo with Vance, adding that he "WAS DC TV."