Obit

Sybil Hibbert, 81

Jamaican journalist Sybil Hibbert passed away last March 13. She was 81.

A former teacher and civil servant, Hibbert was known and admired for her excellence in court and political reporting. During her 17 years or being a court reporter for the Jamaican broadsheet The Gleaner, she made sure that the public was well informed on how its elected representatives addressed affairs of state and that complex cases and details of trials were better understood by presenting them without embellishment. (The Gleaner)

Hibbert was later promoted to senior court reporter at the Supreme Court, her speed and accuracy earning her several accolades from her colleagues, including the 1970 Seprod Journalism Award- Special Honour for Critical Court Commentaries. She retired from The Gleaner in 1975, subsequently founding her own paralegal company Verbatim Services, Ltd., clients of which included prime ministers, government agencies and major law firms. While no longer on the front line, Hibbert continued work with the broadsheet as a regular guest columnist. More recently, she is remembered for her columns in the Jamaica Observer, “Crimes that rocked the nation”, a weekly series which provided in-depth analysis of mostly sensational court cases. (Jamaica Observer)

Lisa Colagrossi, 49

American news reporter Lisa Colagrossi died last March 20. She was 49.

A resident of Stamford, Connecticut, Colagrossi began her journalism career at WKYC-TV in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. She reported for stations in Alabama and West Virginia, and became a news anchor for WKMG-TV in Orlando, Florida. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, she joined the flagship station of ABC television network WABC-TV Channel 7 in New York. (Newsday)

One of the most familiar reporters on New York television, she covered many major stories in the New York metropolitan area during her 14-year tenure at WABC-TV. Some of her reports included the 2001 crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in the Rockaways and the onslaught of 2012 Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. She was also a prominent substitute anchor on Eyewitness News and a reporter for WABC-TV’s noon and morning broadcasts. (New England One)

Colagrossi’s work earned her two Suncoast Regional Emmy awards, five Emmy nominations, and numerous awards from the Florida Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists. (Newsday)