At the age of 75, renowned journalist Ward Lucas passed away on Sunday. At the time of his demise he was worth about $6 million.
He spent more than 30 years as an investigative reporter and host at 9NEWS until retiring in 2009.
Key Takeaways
- Ward was born in Kyoto, Japan on June 7, 1949.
- He began his broadcasting career at 16 hosting radio talk shows in Seattle, Washington.
- It is safe to conclude that he was single and not married when he passed away.
Experienced investigative reporter and TV anchor Ward Lucas had won multiple awards in his forty-year career, including the Associated Press, CSICOP Responsibility in Journalism, George Polk, and Emmys.
In addition to exposing corruption in government and police departments, his tales always stirred controversy.
He had also exposed misconduct in the newsroom and among the executive staff of a major daily newspaper.
Lucas was a well-known speaker whose talk highlighted the various frauds that defraud Americans on a daily basis.
Up until his retirement in 2009, Lucas worked for 9NEWS for more than 30 years as an investigative reporter and weekend anchor.
Tragically, 9NEWS reported on Tuesday about the terrible passing of renowned reporter, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 75.
The news of their fellow reporter’s demise filled the entire newsroom and the audience with a sense of absolute coldness.
Ward Lucas’ Personal Life, Career And Net Worth
Ward Lucas’s legacy continues to resonate in the world of investigative reporting.
Born into a proud military family, his father was a World War II veteran who suffered brain injuries from a Nazi bazooka and battled Alzheimer’s for over a decade.
His older brother served as an officer in the Marine Corps, and his younger brother graduated from West Point.
With such deep roots in military service, Ward dedicated much of his career to honoring those who defend the nation.
Lucas graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and began his broadcasting career at the young age of 16, hosting radio talk shows in Seattle.
In 1973, Seattle’s KIRO-TV took a chance on him, hiring him as a weekend anchor and investigative reporter.
Within two and a half years, he earned multiple awards, including an Emmy for his groundbreaking report, “Fire for Hire,” which exposed industrial arson.
This success caught the attention of Denver’s KBTV (now KUSA), where Lucas cemented his reputation as a leading investigative reporter.
Throughout his career, he covered some of the most high-profile stories of the time, including being the first reporter on the DB Cooper hijacking and the Ted Bundy murders.
He interviewed everyone from Presidents to nursing home residents, Secretaries of State to people living on the streets.
Lucas was not just a reporter; he was a voice against injustice, known for speaking truth to power.
After leaving 9NEWS, he authored three books: Neighbors at War! The Creepy Case Against Your Homeowner’s Association, Sometimes Ya Gotta Ride the Elephant, and The Wacky World of a Recovering Army Brat Family.
His extensive career earned him an estimated net worth of $6 million at the time of his passing, but his wealth paled in comparison to the integrity and reputation he built through his work.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- He won more than 70 awards for his work.
- Lucas was included in a Ted Bundy documentary that was released by Netflix in 2019.
- He mentored many young journalists.
