Tom Jolls, a former broadcaster who was best known for his 34-year tenure at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York, has died at the age of 89. His family announced his death on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. What was his cause of death? Here is what we know about the life and legacy of Tom Jolls.
A Brief Illness
According to Distractify, Tom passed away at the Buffalo Hospice in Cheektowaga, a Buffalo suburb, on Wednesday afternoon. The Jolls family shared a statement with the outlet that touches on his unknown illness. “His brief illness was a blessing as he did not suffer much and passed away with his family by his bedside,” the family said.
The family did not reveal any further details about the nature or duration of his illness. They also requested that donations be made to Buffalo Hospice, in lieu of flowers.
A Long and Successful Career
Tom Jolls was born in Newfane, New York, and grew up in Lockport, New York. He started his career in 1953 at WUSJ Radio in Lockport and WBES-TV, a UHF station with studios in Buffalo. After one Army tour, he returned to WUSJ and joined WBEN AM-FM-TV in 1963.
In 1965, he moved to WKBW-TV, where he became the station’s evening news weatherman, and also hosted The Superman Show as Captain Tom, later Commander Tom. The program evolved into The Commander Tom Show and would be on the air in various formats for 26 years.
Jolls was also known for his “The Weather Outside” segments during Eyewitness News, where he would stand out in the elements to report on weather conditions. He had a trademark “Weather Word,” a summation of the weather forecast in one word (a particular favorite of Jolls was salubrious, for beautiful weather). He also maintained a weather stick as a forecasting aid.
Jolls never earned any certification in meteorology; he believed that the art of weather forecasting was simple enough that it did not require advanced meteorological training. He also maintained a subscription to Accuweather.
Jolls, along with news anchor Irv Weinstein and sports anchor Rick Azar, was a nighttime fixture on WKBW. They were the longest-running anchor team in television history, working together for 24 years until Azar retired in 1989.
In 1992, Jolls reprised his Commander Tom character in a recurring role on the weekend morning kids’ show Rocketship 7. It was cancelled after one year.
Jolls retired from WKBW in 1999. He was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
A Loving Family Man
Tom Jolls was married to Janice Jolls for over 60 years. They had six children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Jolls family described him as “a very shy and private man off the air” and “an even better family man.” They said that they were very proud of his illustrious television career and that he would always be their Commander.
They also thanked his fans and friends for their support and prayers. They said that he would hope that everyone would make their lives salubrious.
