Tyler Suiters, News Anchor, Dead at 53

Former WYFF News 4 sports anchor Tyler Suiters has died following a years-long battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Suiters passed away “peacefully” at his home in Arlington, Virginia on Tuesday, Jan. 24, according to his obituary. He was 53. Suiters was diagnosed with ALS about three years ago.
 
Born in Fort Myer, Virginia in 1969, Suiters graduated from St. Stephens School before studying and graduating from Washington & Lee University. He went on to enjoy a decades-long broadcasting career, working at News 4 in the mid to late 1990s before transitioning to news and moving to sister station KOCO in Oklahoma City, per WYFF 4. His family shared in his obituary that Suiters “spent his career traveling the world as a broadcast journalist and strategic communications executive.

Shocked to hear the news about former KOCO anchor Tyler Suiters. He passed away after a battle with ALS. He was the best of the best. A true Journalist. Working alongside him made me better. He made us all better. #RIP pic.twitter.com/OmqBWcT6hc

— Patrick Spencer (@made4tv) January 26, 2023

Paying tribute to Suiters in a statement, Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), said Suiters “brought a genuine passion for his work and commitment to enriching the lives of those around him.” Suiters joined CTA in 2013 and left in 2021, and during his time there he served “vice president for strategic communications, touching public policy, thought leadership and product category promotions,” and also “played a key role in advising the association and was also the host of the CES Tech Talk podcast.” Suiters also joined CTA Boot Camp.
 
“Tyler was a consummate colleague who could always be counted on to show and inspire kindness, compassion and gratitude. Tyler spread joy to so many of us at CTA with his optimism, friendliness, inquisitive nature and can do attitude,” Shapiro continued. “While his life ended too soon, Tyler’s legacy lives on through the many people whose lives he touched along the way. He will be dearly missed.”
 
Amid news of his passing, many of Suiters’ former colleagues also paid their respects. On Twitter, Jesse Hamilton, who previously worked along Suiters at KOCO, said he was “shocked & saddened to hear of the death of a former coworker, anchor & friend.” Hamilton added that he “learned so much working w/him while at [KOCO]… I’ll never forget the fun times we had together.” Journalist Michael Cogdill remembered Suiters as “a gentleman, a graceful soul, a great athlete and sportscaster, but an even better friend.”
 
Suiters is survived by his wife Caryn, his daughter Sloane, his mother Diane (Howard) Melton, his father Larry T. (Gail) Suiters, and his brother Mike. Suiters will be laid to rest at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington. His family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Healey Center for ALS.