Jump to content

Bill Kuster

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bill Kuster
Born(1930-05-09)May 9, 1930
DiedAugust 12, 2006(2006-08-12) (aged 76)
Alma materPennsylvania State University
OccupationTelevision meteorologist
SpouseDottie
Children2

Bill Kuster (May 9, 1930[1] – August 12, 2006) was an American television meteorologist. He was a weather forecaster at KYW-TV in Philadelphia from 1963 to 1979 and KUSA in Denver from 1979 to 1996.

Biography

[edit]

Early life and education

[edit]

William E. Kuster was born on May 9, 1930, in Fernville, Pennsylvania.[2] The Kuster family later moved to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, where he briefly attended Bloomsburg State College. He served for four years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War before earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1956 from Pennsylvania State University.

Career

[edit]

Bill Kuster's broadcast career began with a six-month period at WARM (AM) in Scranton as a substitute game show host and weatherman. He next worked at WGAL in Lancaster as a weatherman and assistant news director.[2]

In 1963, he moved to the Philadelphia area and joined KYW-TV as a weekend weatherman. He started a vegetable garden, dubbed Kuster's Garden, at the station in 1975.[2]

After he left KYW in 1979, he moved to Denver, Colorado, station KUSA-TV. He worked as KUSA's weekday and weekend weathercaster until his retirement in 1996. He continued the tradition of his Kuster Garden in Denver and expanded it to enlist a restaurateur to prepare meals with the annual harvest for Denver-area homeless shelters.[3]

Marriage and children

[edit]

Bill married the former Dottie Zettle c. 1955. The couple had two children, son Marc and daughter Kim.

Death and afterward

[edit]

Kuster died on August 12, 2006, following a battle with leukemia.[4]

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Kuster posthumously into their Hall of Fame in 2008.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Birth date from Social Security Death Index.
  2. ^ a b c Cipolla, Cathy (1976-02-13). "Bill Kuster: Weatherman extraordinare". The Daily Collegian. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  3. ^ Saunders, Dusty (2006-08-16). "Bill Kuster, green-thumbed weatherman". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
  4. ^ "Popular TV Weather Forecaster Bill Kuster Dies". KMGH-TV. 2006-08-13. Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
[edit]