Jerry Taft facts for kids

Jerry Taft was a well-known American weather presenter. He was born on March 14, 1943, and passed away on July 23, 2020. For many years, he was the main weather expert for WLS-TV in Chicago. He worked at WLS for 34 years. Overall, he spent 42 years telling people about the weather on TV in Chicago.

Jerry Taft: A Life in Weather

Early Life and Learning

Jerry Taft first studied at Georgia Tech for a year. After that, he worked as a radar technician for the United States Air Force. He was stationed in Iowa.

Later, he went to Wartburg College for a year. Then, he joined a special Air Force program. This program sent him to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While there, he learned to fly planes. He even served as a pilot for a year. In 1969, he earned a degree in meteorology, which is the study of weather.

Jerry didn't always plan to be a TV weather person. His interest in weather grew when he was a military pilot. He was part of a TV show that featured him flying with a weatherman. This experience sparked his passion for weather forecasting.

A Career in Weather

Jerry Taft started his TV career at KMOL-TV. This station is now called WOAI-TV. After that, he moved to Chicago. He worked for 7 years at WMAQ-TV, which is an NBC station.

In August 1984, Jerry joined WLS-TV, also known as ABC 7. He became a very popular weather forecaster there. Besides TV, he also gave weather reports on radio stations like WMAQ-AM and WLS-AM in the 1980s.

Many people in Chicago loved Jerry Taft's weather reports. The Chicago Tribune newspaper called him "one of [their] favorite weathermen." People liked his clear and straightforward way of delivering the weather news.

On December 20, 2017, ABC 7 Chicago announced that Jerry would retire. His last day on TV was January 19, 2018. He had spent 42 years forecasting weather on Chicago television.

Life Beyond the Screen

Jerry Taft married his high school sweetheart when he was 19 years old. They had their first child soon after.

After he retired from ABC 7 Chicago, Jerry moved to Naples, Florida. He even worked part-time as an Uber driver for a while. On his first day, he earned $84.61.

Jerry Taft passed away in Chicago on July 23, 2020. He was 77 years old. He is survived by his wife, Shana, and his children: Skylar, Storm, Danna, and Jay.