Remembering a Colleague

July 12, 2007 — -- The people of ABC News mourn the passing of our colleague and friend, Eddie Pinder. He began his career at ABC in 1997 as an off-air reporter, and became a skilled and creative news producer, admired by his many colleagues. He was a lifelong New Yorker, a former student at Brooklyn Technical High School and a graduate of City College. He would have turned 37 in August.

Eddie's colleagues at ABC News will be sharing their thoughts on the World Newser blog. Click here to read them.

Eddie died from complications he suffered while recovering from heart bypass surgery. He is survived by his sister Leah, his brothers Cyprian and Quintis, his mother, Beverly, and a large group of very close friends.

Eddie beat the odds in 1997 when he survived a brain tumor that threatened his life. ABC News anchor Ron Claiborne was a longtime friend, and said Eddie would speak of the experience often.

"I remember early on being at first startled by his reply to my automatic greeting, 'Hey Eddie, how are you doing?' He'd answer, 'Blessed.' I came to understand that he was one of the rare people who actually took that salutation literally and answered it literally. He felt blessed to be alive and to have the wonderous gift of life. He also reflected his deep faith. He believed in God and I suspect Eddie knows that God believes in him."

Anyone who knew Eddie understood he was not a fan of mourning or misery. Before his first surgery to remove the brain tumor, he threw a party. He was a large man with a personality to match. He had a booming voice, and to the delight and surprise of his colleagues in the newsroom he loved to sing. Whenever he visited a city, and had the time, he made a point of finding the local karaoke bar, where he would sing his heart out. Life taught Eddie to sing and dance as if no one was watching.

In a statement announcing Eddie's death, ABC News President David Westin wrote: " … he had a rare spirit that filled a room and made a lasting impression on anyone he touched. We are better for having had Eddie in our midst, which makes our loss all the greater."

Eddie Pinder was an accomplished and recognized television news producer. His proudest achievement was a series of reports on public education in New York City, which aired on "Nightline" in 2000. The work won him the Robert F. Kennedy Grand Prize for journalism. The bronze statue is still sitting in his office.

The author of the words you're reading is a close colleague and friend of Mr. Pinder's who had spoken with him last week. We first met while on assignment in London in 1998, and began a long series of provocative news reports that aired on "World News Tonight" a few years later. It breaks my heart to say goodbye to this man. And there are many people here at ABC News who share the feeling.