Community Mourns Veteran Reporter Sue Quigley, Local News Staple

Sue Quigley, a respected reporter who covered Hernando County and the Tampa Bay region for Media General publications including the Tampa Tribune and Hernando Today, died December 26, 2025. Her death was met with an outpouring of memories from colleagues who described a dedicated journalist whose reporting and personality helped knit the community together.

Colleagues recalled how Quigley balanced a rigorous work ethic with a personal warmth that made her a familiar presence in newsrooms and neighborhoods. Tracy Bradbury, who first met Quigley in August 2003 while working at the same newsroom, described a journalist who stayed late to file stories, did thorough research, and was well known across the community. Bradbury noted Quigley brought a distinctive Scottish brogue and an infectious laugh to her work, and that she had begun her career with Pan Am before moving into local journalism.

Those who worked with Quigley emphasized the central role she played in providing consistent, on the ground coverage of breaking news and community affairs. Her reporting style, rooted in detail and accessibility, served readers who rely on local outlets for information about schools, government actions, health services, and neighborhood concerns. In an era when local newsrooms face shrinking resources, colleagues said the loss of an experienced reporter reduces the capacity to hold institutions accountable and to surface stories that affect underserved residents.

Publisher Duane Chichester offered a closing tribute, saying, "May Sue rest in peace alongside her beloved husband Giovanni. Sue, you will be greatly missed by all that knew and love you."

Quigley was remembered not only as a reporter but as a devoted matriarch whose family was central to her life. Fellow journalists and community members shared additional remembrances, noting that her dedication to craft and community extended beyond bylines to everyday acts of care and mentorship. For Hernando County, her passing is a reminder of the human cost behind local news work and the importance of supporting institutions that inform and protect public health, civic participation, and social equity.