Jerry Taft
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Jerry Taft | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1943 |
| Died | July 23, 2020 (aged 77) |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Years active | 1976–2018 |
Jerry Taft (March 14, 1943[1] – July 23, 2020) was an American meteorologist and weather presenter who served as chief meteorologist for WLS-TV in Chicago. He worked for 34 years with WLS, and for 42 years as a broadcast meteorologist in the Chicago media market.
Taft spent one year at Georgia Tech, before working as radar technician for the United States Air Force in Iowa. After studying at Wartburg College for one year, he got accepted into the Airman Education and Commissioning Program, which sent him to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2] During his time there, he became a pilot and fought in the Vietnam War for a year. He eventually obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology from that institution in 1969.[2][3] He revealed that he had not initially aspired to be a television meteorologist. His interest in the area was piqued during his time as a military pilot, when he was involved in a TV feature, flying with San Antonio weatherman Maclovio Perez of NBC affiliate KMOL-TV.[4][5]