Tom Jolls, legendary WKBW weatherman, dies at 89

[@Netstryke]

Also loved in Southern Ontario. Rest well, Commander Tom. Thank you for the Childhood memories. 🥹

[@wn8022]

Absolutely. Fort Erie Proud. 🇨🇦

[@elaineloring]

Thank you Keith Radford for this beautiful tribute/report. Loved every second of it.

[@JustanObserver1]

Thanks for being part of my childhood, Commander. We'll miss you.

[@dianeribchester4429]

How sad. My brother and I watched Rocketship 7 before going to school. Commander Tom was wonderful!!! ❤from Toronto, Ontario to The Jolls Family.

[@seanharley6432]

I remember watching Rocket Ship Seven with Commander Tom from Hamilton, Ontario. I would have been very young around 5 to 7 years old. Sad about his passing! My condolences to his family and friends!

[@roberthurd328]

I remember him when I watched him when I was a kid on TV.I did a drawing of superman because it was part of his T v show and sent it in And saw it on the t v. I'm just learning about his passing.I have Traumatic brain injury and start a remembering Bits and pieces of my life.And I just decided to look this up and hang out that he passed away.Also I found out that I have a lack of understanding of a dimension of time and it feels like it's just yesterday. I am saddened by this in more ways than you would think. I appreciate him being a part of my childhood. Thank you commander Tom.

[@lassiewho]

Part of my childhood as well as many other kids here in southern Ontario

[@thenewhorizons]

Back in the early '70s my mom took me, my cousin and my friend to Dialing for Dollars. During the break when they broadcast the Galloping Gourmet, the studio audience was given the option to either stay in the studio or go hang out in the parking lot. Me, my cousin and my friend decided to wander around in the parking lot. It was there that we bumped into Tom Jolls. He said "Hi guys, how's it going?" The three of us thought it was so cool seeing Commander Tom live in person! RIP Mr. Jolls. You brought so much joy to so many people.

[@elaineloring]

Great memory!

[@RobertBreedon-c3b]

The Galloping Gourmet now there is a show I haven't heard of in a long long long time

[@michaeltroupe6058]

Always watched commander Tom and rocket ship 7 in Kitchener ontario Canada RIP commander Tom

[@drwatsonca6945]

I used to watch his show all the time even though i lived in Ontsrio. He was a great man and he will be missed.

[@christopherpiper4792]

Growing up in Wellsville NY watching Tom Jolls as Commander Tom and seeing his weather forecasts at 6:22pm and 11:22pm weekdays thru the 60's and 70's made Tom seem like family. Beloved and remembered by so many! He will be missed.

[@Mr_fubar]

So many memories. RIP Commander

[@Penpalinflorida]

I grew up watching Tom on the Commander Tom show afternoons. I would watch him everyday after school. He did so much charity work such as helping the Muscular Dystrophy Association with those carnivals he advertised on the show. A truly great man. May he rest in peace.

[@PugetSoundFlyer]

Such a delightful part of my life. Ad Astra Tom, Ad Astra.

[@DebiRautenstrauch]

OMG My dad is in that video shaking hands with the Commander in Aug of 1995, who we watched on TV as well as at the Fair! Dad passed in 2019, so good to see his smiling face!😊

[@Lava1964]

Aw, this Canadian used to watch Commander Tom all the time.

[@teri8058]

Awe RIP Commander Tom 😢

[@davidlewis1815]

My introduction to Adam West's Batman and George Reeves' Superman was on The Commander Tom Show.

[@michaelfirman4700]

Rest easy, Commander Tom ❤

[@KimBouchard]

I absolutely loved Commander Tom and the puppets.

[@edwardhudson8505]

What a tremendous loss. Tom Jolls was a part of my childhood growing up here in Buffalo and I had watched Commander Tom and Rocket Ship 7 religously before it went off the air. What is there to say about this local legend but thank you for being a part of my childhood to adulthood. RIP Commander Tom.

[@gweedomurray9923]

I met Dave Thomas at the McDonalds by Sweet Home Rd. and Sheridan Drive. Neat when you get a chance to meet one of your boyhood heroes. One year, on a charity walk downtown, with a friend who was sponsored, I met radio guy, Jack Armstrong, one of my all time favorite radio guys. :-) ♥

[@eventhat8103]

Tom Jolls, Irv Weinstein, and Rick Azar: Western NY TV Legends. Simply the best.

[@johnmeoff]

i useto tun home from school not to miss any commander tom

[@RobertBreedon-c3b]

I remember Commander Tom used to come to the Toronto Santa Claus Parade almost every year I think I got my name on his Commander Tom Rocket ship 7 show one year for my birthday. Well all three of them are together again

[@jerrym1183]

I as many, watched him as I grew up in Alden, such great memories, I salute you Commander Tom and thank you, regards to your family.

[@Japanjeff]

I'm heartbroken. Commander Tom was my childhood! Rest Well Mr. Jolls!

[@mrmisanthrope7613]

What a very good man, we have lost an icon not only for buffalo , but southern Ontario, thank you commander Tom!

[@Lava1964]

Yes, it was amazing how popular he was in southern Ontario.

[@RobertBreedon-c3b]

@@Lava1964 Oh hell yeah me and all my friends use to watch Commander Tom before school every weekday morning from Toronto as well he really did as did the whole channel 7 news team had quite a large following here in Southern Ontario

[@gweedomurray9923]

I was in the 6th grade, at Sweet Home Elementary, with his boy, Dale. Dale was every bit a good guy as his dad. Gordon H.

[@CocoOPNY]

I loved the gentle Commander Tom and Rocketship 7. I was so confused when Commander Tom was out of uniform, doing the weather. We loved his show as little kids in the early 70's!

[@fichteendlelmereyecare3556]

RIP Tom and thank you you did for all of WNY!

[@Friends61-]

Loved commander Tom

[@Boots27J]

Commander Tom afternoon show was the greatest. I think it started as The Superman Show. Dustmop, Matty the Mod, Cecily Fripple, and a chubby guy in a light purple Batman suit, Bathead?

[@RaveSacks]

Huge part of my WNY childhood. Met him at the Erie County Fair in the late 80s. Loved him doing the weather outside. Loved him hosting cartoons as Commander Tom. Even loved him voicing local commercials for Brand Names and such.

[@wallymarribitt6916]

Tom was a class act...thanks for the memories...God rest his soul

[@earlderksen8998]

Very sad to hear that commander tom ,always watch his show has passed away always a favorite here in Southern Ontario 😢rip tom

[@thomaspc0]

I loved watching Commander Tom and then watching Tom Jolls doing the weather outside. I still remember him blowing on his chalk to warm it enough so that it would write on the board. Rest in Pease, Commander.

[@sandrahendricks2020]

Those were the days with Irv, Rick and Commander Tom! A deep personal loss for all of Buffalo! A very beloved man! Rest in peace Commander and God bless!

[@sheilabryant321]

Wonderful tribute for a true, sweet, and caring gentleman, Commander Tom. I used to stand outside channel 7 studio and watch him do the weather. The last of a magical trio of broadcasters. Irv🕊️, Rick🕊️ and Tom 🕊️ 😢💔 R.I.P gentlemen 🙏🏾

[@nightfishsnake]

He was such a significant part of the childhood of thousands, not just in the Buffalo region, but even the kids as far north as Toronto. I have fond memories of the Commander Tom show with his puppet friends Matty and Dustmop and Cecily. Always showing great cartoons and classic TV shows like The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves. He was a tower of a man with a very distinctive voice,he will be sorely missed but never forgotten ✝️ God bless and rest in peace Tom

[@kimsyracuse-uw8oj]

Condones to his family friends And to the wkbw in buffalo New York western New York you're going to be missed you dearly now he belong to heaven sending prayers 🙏

[@RobertBreedon-c3b]

Must first puppy I ever had I named her Dustmop after the Commander Tom show I was like 4 years old or so

[@streetcarjay]

Hard to believe Irv, Rick and Tom are all gone. Forever the Big 3 of Eyewitness News.

[@JustBree716]

Damn i don't think I've seen his since the summer of 96 when i left Buffalo. Not to return until 2004. So he's etched in my memory how he looked in 96. Condolences to his family. My childhood dying slowly

[@tinawilson6113]

RIP Commander! Thanks for all the wonderful childhood memories! ❤️

[@illiamdeebe7579]

Godspeed to a legend. The love and admiration of thousands of kids will travel with you.

[@716Expat]

😢

[@paulaswanson13]

Thanks for the tribute to a real WNY legend 💖

[@TD_JR]

I grew up with the Commander Tom show in the mornings and had the pleasure of watching his forecast for years until I wound up moving out of state for a stretch. Got back around 2006 and, even though I had stopped watching TV since '98, I still had fond memories of Tom, Rick, and Irv visiting their old broadcasts here on KZbin from time to time for the nostalgia. I heard the weather in heaven is better than salubrious. 07, Commander. You will always be missed.

[@RobertBreedon-c3b]

Irv and his saying like " Pistol Packing Punks " or " Buffalo Blaze Busters "

[@brandonwald8581]

Rest in peace, Mr. "Commander" Tom Jolls. Thanks for keeping me company on so many Sunday mornings and not telling my parenets that it was me that fished out all the marshmallows from the Count Chocula cereal.

[@intocreating2]

I thought Tom’s show was The Commander Tom Show”… and Dave Thomas was “Rocketship 7” … sad to know Tom has passed away.. he was one of a kind!

[@Penpalinflorida]

I think you are right about that, but I believe he took over Rocketship 7 when Dave Thomas went to philly.

[@ianferguson1482]

A true legend. RIP Commander.

[@kingclover1395]

I remember Commander Tom show cuz I was born in the 60s. I remember all those people. Irv Weinstein. Remember Rocketship 7? It was a kid's show with Dave Thomas I think his name was. OMG. I can't believe I remember that. With Promo the Robot? Lol. Holy crap. I forget if that was the station with Dialing for Dollars with that lady Liz somebody. Oh my lord.

[@Lava1964]

Somewhere on KZbin there is a very long video about all the wonderful shows that used to be on WKBW-TV in the past. Yep, I watched them all too from southern Ontario.

[@quietstormaps]

Do you also remember how he ended the show? I can distinctly remember him ending it by saying "Keep your chin up, shoulders back and stomach in. You'll look better and feel better too". I never forgot those words. Was it him or Dave Thomas? LOL

[@davidcorbett823]

Never another like him.

[@wn8022]

😢😢😢

[@jamisongugino2887]

❤❤❤

[@AnthonyBialy]

RIP, Commander.

[@pgh45rpms]

Any clips you can post about sportscaster Rob Doggett? He died about eight years ago.

[@greggsheaffer2521]

RIP

[@ryanascotty]

For a second there I thought they said “SEX”. Thank god it was “SIX”! RIP COMMANDER TOM.

[@RonMotta1972]

Well, if he had six kids…

[@Lava1964]

@@RonMotta1972 You beat me to writing the same thing.

[@T.D.F.M]

Rip in peace