Dr. Mel passes away at 66: wtnh.com
This is for the folks who have cracked my secret identity, for those readers from New Haven and Hamden, Connecticut, and all people who have a beloved personal weatherman or weatherwoman.Dr. Mel Goldstein has passed away. He fought a long and very public fight with cancer and it appears he finally succumbed. Dr. Mel didn't lose. Dr. Mel simply went on to another fight; he had to predict the weather for the elder gods on another plane of existence.
He was a quirky guy. Dr. Mel was very popular and a true populist: he would show up all over New Haven county and talk to people. From the rich to the poor, all of us--the black, brown, white, yellow, and red--we all trusted him. I am sure if Dr. Mel decided to run for Mayor he would have won in a landslide.
In fact, at the supermarket in the old Ames-Stop & Shop Plaza near The Strand Theater on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Connecticut ("back in the day" during the 1980s), I met Dr. Mel.
My dad, mom, and me? We were all overwhelmed. Dr. Mel was genuine, and it was as if he had known us for years as he talked to us for a good fifteen or so minutes. While my favorite celebrity encounter was getting Mr. Fuji's (of the then WWF's) autograph at Bradley's department store while he stood in line wearing a kimono and flip flops, my encounter with Dr. Mel is a close second.
Random factoid: I am named after a weatherman. Therefore, my highest complement is that Dr. Mel was THE DUDE that all of us trusted when it came to his predictions about closing school for a winter storm. If Dr. Mel said there would no school tomorrow, we were never disappointed. Those other folks, on those other networks? Not to be trusted.
You will be missed Dr. Mel. Your passing means that we are all a bit older. You will never, not ever, be replaced.
In the unique cadence of Master Yoda, "irreplaceable, you are."
Dr. Mel, you are real people. You are also a respectable negro. Do travel well.
4 comments:
I grew up watching Dr. Mel, too.
You wrote a lovely post in his Memory.
He will be sadly missed.
Godspeed, Dr. Mel.
@Mary. Small world, huh? He was special.
Oh,my goodness. I am so sorry to hear this news.My entire family is from CT, but I have lived in AZ for many years now.Dr. Mel WAS the guy that you could trust and look to to see if school was closed!Though I never had the chance to meet him, he always seemed approachable and just an all 'round nice guy.Condolences to his family and friends...and all the CT family that watched him everyday, with that big smile and contagious laughter.You will be missed.
I must say that my jaw dropped when I saw this post about Dr. Mel; I foolishly assumed he was known on a national scale before assuming that you were from CT. So am I...small world indeed.
Nonetheless, I loved watching Dr. Mel as well and am beyond sad to see him go.
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