Melissa Riopka dead at 48: The newsreader passed away after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia

Laura Bolton Patterson paid tribute to Melissa Riopka on Instagram and said: “Today, I honor you, my friend! I will always remember our college days and you always fell asleep on my sofa before we even left. Your memory will stay in my heart forever.”

News 19 announced the passing of Melissa Riopka in a statement and said: “It is with heavy hearts that we tell you about the death of former News 19 anchor Melissa Riopka.

“Melissa died Saturday after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. She was 48 years old.

“She grew up in Cullman, and in 1995 while attending the University of Alabama, she interned at News 19.

“Melissa worked at stations in Chattanooga and Birmingham before deciding to call Huntsville home.”

The statement ended with these words: “Melissa left News 19 in March 2022, but her impact at the station has been felt far beyond that through the people who were fortunate to work with and get to know her.

“Melissa is survived by her husband and two children.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Melissa’s family and friends.”

Retired news anchor Jerry Hayes paid tribute to Melissa on Facebook and said: “Why do bad things happen to good people? I’m struggling with that after getting a call last night that Mellisa Riopka lost her fight with blood cancer. We co-anchored the evening newscasts together for several years during her time at WHNT News 19.”

He went on to say that “The hole in our lives will be hard to fill but Mel, you will always have a special place in my heart.”