Leah Siegel, an ESPN producer and Dallas mother of three whose two-year struggle with breast cancer inspired thousands of area residents, died early Monday, her family said. She was 43.
Siegel had been resting peacefully in hospice care in recent days, her husband, Eric Loehr told readers of her blog. She died about 4:30 a.m.
“Thank you to everyone,” Loehr wrote Monday. “The support over the last couple of years has been amazing. As Leah has enriched many people’s lives, I believe that her life was equally enriched.”
Siegel was one of the first women to become a full-time field producer for ESPN, covering major events across the country. Her work won three Emmy awards.
She was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in August 2008, shortly after the birth of her third child, Oliver. That fall, she was featured in a front-page story in The Dallas Morning News. The story of her battle inspired thousands of strangers to write her. Over the past two years, nearly 50,000 visits were logged to her web page.
Siegel also inspired dozens of her Lakewood neighborhood families to show their support in the annual Komen Dallas Race for the Cure. The group was among the top fundraising teams.
“Leah loved Eric and her kids and her work,” said ESPN reporter Ed Werder. “In the end, I agree with a colleague who told me today that she would rather we remember the good times rather than wallowing in sadness and dwell on our inability to fathom the damned unfairness of this sad ordeal.”
Siegel grew up in Washington, D.C., attending Maret High School, was graduated from the University of Maryland and spent a year studying in Aix en Provence, France. She began her career at WRC-TV in Washington. She later married Loehr, executive vice president of business development for Landmark Clearing Inc. The couple had three children, Teagan, 5; Wyatt, 3; and Oliver, 23 months.
Her family wrote on the blog Monday that two observances are planned: one a traditional service this week and another lighter event in September to celebrate Siegel’s life. Times and dates have not yet been finalized.
