We Mourn The Passing Of Louisville's WHAS Radio Personality, Francene Cucinello. R. I. P. .

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Louisville's WHAS-Radio personality Francene Cucinello dies; hosted "Francene Show"
By Sean Rose • srose@courier-journal.com

WHAS-Radio personality Francene Cucinello has died after a heart attack and a brain aneurysm, the station and her family announced Friday afternoon.

Cucinello went to the hospital Monday and died at Norton Hospital at 3:15 p.m. Friday, according to the statement from her family.

She was 43. A public memorial is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Southeast Christian Church.

Cucinello suffered a heart attack Monday and a brain aneurysm Wednesday, her family said in a statement through Norton Healthcare. Her family called her death unexpected.
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“Francene loved this community and this community loved Francene,” the statement said. “In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support Aneurysm Research at any BB&T branch under the title: Francene Fund.”

Cucinello was also an organ donor and her family said they hoped that she could “continue to bring life to others.”

Cucinello has hosted the “Francene Show” since October 2003, often interviewing local, state and national politicians.

Politicians remember her as a tough but fair host and someone dedicated to the community.

“I considered her a friend, despite her tough questions, and I enjoyed our frequent interviews on her show,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “People felt like they knew Francene because she was so open and honest, and her death is a terrible blow to the community. She was savvy, warm, whip-smart and compassionate. She will be deeply missed by all.”

Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson said he didn’t always agree with her on the issues, but “Francene had a special way of spurring people to talk about subjects important to our community and our state.”

U.S. Rep John Yarmuth was a frequent guest on the show and said he was “devastated for the loss to this community and heartbroken for the loss of my friend.”

“Francene brought so much passion and joy to every aspect of her life and was genuinely driven by compassion for those around her,” Yarmuth said.

“She woke up every morning excited to use her position to help make people's lives better. And that's exactly what she did – entertaining and informing us, always giving back, personally helping people find jobs, and so much more,” he said. “The more time I spent with her, the more I respected her intellect and admired her generosity.”

Cucinello had called Yarmuth a friend and even consulted him on making on run for Congress against him, she wrote in a Jan. 13 column in LEO Weekly. She considered moving into politics but ultimately decided against it, writing that “I didn’t want the job enough to pursue it with the relentlessness a successful campaign would require. But never say never. In two years, I might very well change my mind.”

Cucinello came to Louisville from a St. Louis station where she had been the station’s first female solo talk-show host, according to her blog.

Before that she worked as a television news reporter in Baltimore and Charlotte, N.C., and at a national news bureau in Washington, D.C., where she covered Congress and the White House, according to the blog.

She was born in New Jersey in 1966 and worked as a professional dancer at age 14 and continued touring with Shakespearean and musical theatre companies before she was 21, her blog said.

Her first radio job came as a student at West Virginia University when she called into a radio station to answer a trivia question. Her blog said the station’s program director liked her voice and hired her as a disc jockey on the spot.

Editor's comment: I never appeared on the Francine show, though I received calls from her to appear.

May her soul R. I. P. .