David Diaz's death touches NYC and CBS News New York. He was the consummate "reporter's reporter"
Television journalist and educator David Diaz, who spent decades covering New York City and the Tri-State Area, died last week at the age of 82.
Here at CBS News New York, we were lucky that he shared his remarkable abilities, generous spirit and infectious smile with us and our viewers.
"New York City guy" who could do it all
Diaz's television news career spanned three decades. He relentlessly pursued the truth, with qualities tough and tender, like the city he loved.
The tragedy of 9/11 was reported by him with abundant skill and empathy.
"A reporter's reporter. New York City guy. Hard scrabble, you know, bringing himself up and wanted to bring others up as well," CBS Evening News anchor Maurice Dubois said of his former colleague.
"He understood New York City like very few journalist know and that was David Diaz. He was a consummate professional, a charming, charming man," CBS News New York anchor Mary Calvi said.
"He was a legend," CBS News New York's Jennifer Jones said.
Diaz spent decades telling insightful stories
Diaz was born in Puerto Rico in 1942, and from the age of 3 he was raised in Washington Heights. He was educated at Fordham Prep, City College, and Columbia University.
He had been a community activist and newspaper reporter when he was hired by NBC, where he spent 15 years. He then spent more than 12 years here at CBS News New York.
"I first met David Diaz when I was a print reporter and we went on a complicated trip to South America and Central America. He was able to take this complex story with multiple, multiple locations and cut in the field and feed a piece back and be on the evening news every single night. He was able to do it and make it look so incredibly effortless," CBS News New York political reporter Marcia Kramer said.
"There was David. You sent him out, you knew you were gonna get the story," CBS News New York associate producer Wanda Prisinzano said.
"He did it all, from anchoring, field anchoring, reporting. If you needed something, he was always there," CBS News New York field operations manager Brian Lowder added.
"A mentor" and so much more
Family members say in recent years Diaz lived with a form of dementia that diminished his gifts of communication, but added even as his words faded, his spirit never did.
"He was such a mentor. He was a mentor from when I first met him and 1993 and then after he left Channel 2, which was huge loss to journalism in general. Then he wanted to keep helping, so he teaches. I miss him. I know it's a big hole in so many people's lives," CBS News New York anchor and reporter Cindy Hsu added.
Diaz is survived by his daughters, Elena, Nina, son-in-law Jonathan and his wife, Andrea.
