Former Seattle weatherman Steve Pool dies from Alzheimer’s disease

Former longtime KOMO News weatherman Steve Pool died this week from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Facebook post his wife, Michelle Lee, authored Friday.

KOMO News confirmed the news in a story posted on its website Friday afternoon, noting he died Wednesday at the age of 70.

“He fought this terrible disease privately for several years, and with every ounce of his being,” Lee wrote in her Facebook post. “He told me multiple times to ‘never count me out’ and we never did. This past week it became too much and he passed away peacefully. We are so blessed to have had him in our lives.”

“What you saw on TV with Steve Pool was not an act,” KIRO Newsradio News Director Charlie Harger said Friday. “Behind the scenes, he was always the kindest, most compassionate, friendly, all the superlatives you can think of … This is such a loss …”

In a conversation with KIRO Newsradio Friday, KOMO news anchor and longtime friend Eric Johnson marveled about how Pool wanted to know “everything,” calling his longtime friend a “renaissance man.”

“He was smooth. He was stylish. He was fun and easy. He was a star. He really was a star,” Johnson said of Pool.

KOMO News’ story about Pool’s life states he began his career as an intern at KOMO News when he was still a student at the University of Washington in 1974. He got hired fulltime in 1978 “and never looked back.”

Pool wore many hats during the early portion of his career. He covered sports and hard news before becoming KOMO 4’s chief weather forecaster in 1984. ABC’s “Good Morning America” asked him to fill in more than 70 times on the national show.

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“Throughout his career at KOMO, Steve Pool demonstrated a deep commitment to providing reliable and accurate news coverage to the viewers,” KIRO Newsradio reporter James Lynch said. “With his friendly demeanor and warm personality, he managed to connect with the audience effortlessly. His dedication to journalism made him a trusted source of information within the community.”

From left, Steve Pool, Dan Lewis and Eric Johnson sit on the KOMO-TV set. (Photo courtesy of KOMO News)

“He was an important in my career and an important person in my life,” former KOMO News anchor Dan Lewis told KIRO Newsradio Friday.

KIRO Newsradio anchor Tom Hutyler, who worked with Pool for nearly 20 years at KOMO News, remembered his former colleague warmly.

“He was just a joy when he’d come in,” Hutyler said. “Every time I think of him right now I can’t think of him without a smile on his face. He was smiling. He was always kind and considerate.”

Pool also served on several charitable boards and later hosted KOMO 4’s Miracle Network for Children’s Hospital.

“Beyond his journalism career, Steve Pool was also actively involved in various philanthropic initiatives, showing his compassion for helping others,” Lynch added. “His efforts in supporting local charities and organizations made a positive impact on countless lives.”

KOMO News also listed the series of awards Pool was bestowed with throughout his career, noting he “won seven Emmy awards for excellence in broadcasting, a Sigma Delta Chi Society of Professional Journalism award, gold and bronze medals from the New York International Film Festival, a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences American Scene Award, two ‘Telly’ Awards and an Academy of Religious Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement Award.”

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Pool was also part of the news team that was the 2001 and 2007 winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award for the best newscast in America, KOMO News said.

“(Pool’s) contributions to journalism and his caring nature will be dearly missed,” Lynch said. “However, his legacy will continue to inspire future journalists, reminding them of the importance of delivering news with empathy and dedication.”

As he neared retirement, he reflected on how fortunate he was to live the life he did.

“I love this community. I love this station. I love my co-workers. I’m the luckiest man on the planet,” Pool said at the time.

In 2019, after 42 years, Pool retired from television.

In addition to his wife, Pool is survived by his two daughters, Lindsey and Marissa.

“He was an extraordinary man, husband, father and good friend to many,” Lee’s Facebook post concludes. “Please know that he truly loved his job and this community and felt so privileged to be a part of your lives. You were all so good to him and thereby good to us. Our hearts are irretrievably broken. Please say a prayer for him and our family.”