KGO-TV, ABC7 anchor Pete Wilson died Friday night at Stanford Hospital from a massive heart attack suffered during hip replacement surgery, the station reported today on its Web site.
Wilson, 62, is survived by his wife, Sandra and son Brendan.
"Pete was one of the most valued and respected news professionals in the Bay Area and the country," ABC7 President and General Manager Valari Staab said in a statement. "For more than 30 years, he was welcomed into the homes of thousands of local viewers reporting on every major news event that touched their lives. This is a deep loss."
Wilson had co-anchored the station's 6 p.m. newscast since 2002. Before that he spent 12 years anchoring the news at KRON-TV in San Francisco.
The station said Wilson, born and raised in central Wisconsin, was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in journalism and creative writing.
The station noted that Wilson has received numerous awards from the Associated Press and others, and a half-dozen Emmy's.
Wilson also shared two Peabody awards, including one for his coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake while at ABC7, the station said.
Published in San Jose Mercury News on July 21, 2007
