Elise Finch, our beloved colleague, remembered two years after her death
Her memory and legacy endures. She's still very much a part of our lives.
"When Elise would walk in a room, you knew Elise was in the room. She always brought it," John Elliott remembered. "Elise was real, and I hope that we can all just strive to be that real on TV, and more importantly that real in life."
Every newsroom has its rhythms. For 16 years, our rhythm included Elise - a warm front of kindness and confidence. She had a scientist's mind, a broadcaster's wit and a friend's heart. She could explain everything from barometric pressure to why Janet Jackson is the greatest artist of all time. But her real connections came from being relatable.
"Elise and I are both so messy," Cindy Hsu said. "She and I would just try so hard to clean up a little corner, we'd take a before and after picture, send it to each other and feel so good that we cleaned up a little bit. So she was my little 'messy Marvin' partner, in addition to everything."
This year, Elise's hometown of Mount Vernon welcomed her into their Hall of Fame. The award was accepted by her husband Graig and their daughter Grace.
"I just wanted to thank everybody for the just amazing support that Mount Vernon has shown us throughout this whole time," Graig said.
It has been two years since we lost Elise, and her smile still shows up for us every day. CBS News New York has a quiet room, where we can go when the headlines feel too heavy. A plaque paying tribute to her is there.
Her picture also sits on a mirror where the CBS News New York team makes their final checks before they go live, as a reminder to speak clearly, stay grounded, and smile - just like Elise.
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