Longtime NY1 travel reporter Valarie D’Elia died Tuesday after a battle with ALS, the local station said. She was 64.
The ball-trotting journalist became a familiar face to Big Apple viewers during her “Travel with Val” segment where she would explore the city — and the rest of the world.
During a 2010 interview with The Postshe explained that travel has always been part of her family history. At the beginning of the 20th century, her great-grandfather started a travel agency, she said.
She recalled in the interview that she was usually on the road about 60% of the year.
“Then I come home and I have to put the story together: watch the video that was shot, write the script and edit the footage,” she said.
She also offered some valuable advice during the sit-down interview.
“Pack light, forget the blow dryer – who wants to worry about all that?” D’Elia had said. “You’ll be surprised how liberated you’ll feel!”
D’Elia worked for NY1 between 1998 and 2017, according to her LinkedIn.
The intrepid reporter has also worked for the Travel Channel, HBO and the WOR Radio Network, NY1 said.
“She is survived by her husband Ron and will be missed by her family and friends,” the station wrote Wednesday.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease named after the famous New York Yankee, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no cure.