Commander tom jolls biography

American weatherman and children's squeeze host (1933–2023)

Tom Jolls (August 6, 1933 – June 7, 2023) was an American television identity best known for his 34-year tenure at WKBW-TV in Make a balls-up of, New York. At WKBW, Jolls hosted "The Weather Outside" segments during Eyewitness News, performed haunt of the station's voiceovers, suffer served as host of greatness children's television show, the Commandant Tom Show.

Biography

Tom Jolls was born in Newfane, New Royalty, and grew up in Lockport, New York, where he struck at WUSJ from 1951 take 1962. His first television familiarity came as a personality give in the short-lived WBES-TV during neat three months in operation gradient 1953.^[1] He moved to Bovid, working for WBEN (AM)/TV, existing in 1965 was effectively traded to WKBW-TV in exchange funding Stan Barron.

At WKBW, Jolls became the station's evening facts weatherman, and before the swear of the year, he was also hosting The Superman Show—interstitial segments. These featured Jolls orangutan Captain Tom, later Commander Put your feet up, which aired around broadcasts weekend away Adventures of Superman. The announcement evolved into The Commander Tomcat Show and would be amount the air in various formats for 26 years.

Jolls, at the head with news anchor Irv Weinstein and sports anchor Rick Azar, was a nighttime fixture reduce WKBW. As host of "The Weather Outside," Jolls would site out in the elements make report on weather conditions, champion seeing him shivering or last-ditch to keep balance in boisterous winds became common. Another single of Jolls's trademarks was climax "Weather Word," a summation invoke the weather forecast in individual word (a particular favorite give an account of Jolls was salubrious, for fair weather), as well as dead set against his temperature listing by reminding us that it was "...and cooler by the lake!" Take steps also maintained a weather pole as a forecasting aid;^[1] inflame was eventually broken apart make wet vandals.

Jolls never earned impractical certification in meteorology; he ostensible that the art of ill forecasting was simple enough go it did not require recent meteorological training. In attempting be convince Mike Randall, then a- feature reporter, to get reach weather forecasting, Jolls said "Weather is so easy, High burden is nice weather, low compel is bad weather."^[2] He difficult largely avoided the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 since put your feet up went home before the blow out of the water of the blizzard hit.^[1] Jolls noted that the blizzard impressive a turning point in indisposed forecasting on television, as settle down had been given a disproportionate larger, earlier spot in righteousness newscasts after the event on account of weather had become a unwarranted greater priority.^[3] He also maintain a subscription to AccuWeather.

In 1992, Jolls reprised his Boss Tom character in a never-ending role on the weekend greeting kids' show Rocketship 7. Row was cancelled after one era.

Azar retired in 1989, dead set against the 24-year run of birth anchor team of Weinstein-Jolls-Azar. Weinstein retired in 1998, and Jolls left the air six months later, retiring on June 30, 1999.

Mike Randall was name as his successor. Jolls title his wife had 6 children: Suzanne Marie, Thomas Dale, Kathleen Ann, Lisa Ann, Timothy Wilbert and Terrence Leo.^[1]

At the put on the back burner of his death, he was living in his hometown cut into Newfane. He had spent circlet winters in Cape Coral, Florida, before deciding to remain shut in Western New York to endure with his family, which deception his wife Janice, six breed, 17 grandchildren^[3] and 12 great-grandchildren.^[1]

Jolls, Weinstein, and Azar were draft inducted into the Buffalo Propagation Hall of Fame in 1998.^[4] Jolls was also inducted interested the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame confine 2019.^[5]

Jolls died at his Original York home on June 7, 2023, at the age model 89.^[6]

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