Rosenda Rios, an intrepid reporter and investigative journalist who left an impression on local television stations throughout Texas, died this week after a battle with cancer.
Rios died at her home in Houston, former employer KSAT (Channel 12) reported on Thursday. Her exact age was unknown at press time.
Rios worked for KSAT from 2000 to 2010, joining the ABC affiliate in the midst of a lengthy broadcast career that spanned the Lone Star State. She worked as a general assignment and investigative reporter for the station, working on a team known to viewers as “The Defenders” to solve consumer problems.
Rios also anchored weekend news broadcasts, covering everything from breaking news to sports championships.
“Rosenda is one of the kindest, most generous women I’ve ever worked with,” KSAT news director Bernice Kearney said in a statement posted on the station’s website. “She lived her life with gusto, fiercely loved her family and friends, and never stopped being a member of the extended KSAT family. I will miss her beautiful smile and her infectious laugh, and will always be grateful for the time she spent as part of the KSAT12 News team.”
Prior to joining KSAT, Rios worked for CBS station KEYE-TV (Channel 42) in Austin. Her career included stints at other television and radio stations dating back to the early 1980s.
After leaving KSAT, Rios joined the executive communications team at USAA, a Houston-based financial institution that serves active duty and retired military members and their families. After the move, she said she’d miss her local news career but was excited by the prospect of helping military families achieve their financial goals.
Rios is survived by her husband Larry Burns, a former photojournalist for KSAT, and her two sons Noah and Gabriel.
