It was the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was definitely a busy holiday weekend, but we managed to wedge-in a lunch with some friends at Ray’s Boathouse. We won the lunch lotto as we arrived on a cold, but sun-drenched November day to a 10-minute wait and seats overlooking the way, as we celebrated living here in the Pacific Northwest.

Our conversations went all over the place. From summer vacations, to kids, to the big event coming up one week from that day: Julebord, an annual Christmas dinner at the Seattle Golf Club which yours truly emcees every year.

While I’ve got a lot of holiday traditions (crafting the family Christmas card, writing the annual family letter, putting together another Ho Ho Brother holiday collection, writing a parody song for sing Alana Baxter and then recording it and turning it into a video), my duties at Julebord are a hoot. I start out the event with a monologue, then break out into some kind of silly song, and then navigate our way through speeches, performances and door prizes.

With Julebord taking place at the Seattle Golf Club, just up the road from our house, I dropped in some S.G.C. trivia–that former KOMO TV weather guy Steve Pool was the club’s very first black member. (he had told me that once)

A few moments later, I was taking a quick peek at my Facebook feed on my phone, and what do you know: a picture of Steve Pool came up. Seriously, less than a minute after I had said his name out loud, there he was.

Dear Friends,

I am here to share the sad news that my dear husband, my love, has passed away from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He fought this terrible disease privately for several years, and with every ounce of his being. 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. He was an extraordinary man, husband, father and good friend to many. 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.

Wait. What?

Not a chance. Must be some sick hoax.

But as I searched Facebook, it was spreading like wildfire. Steve Pool had passed away from early onset Alzheimer’s at the young age of 70. That age gets younger the older you get. The KOMO news report confirmed it.

What made this so hard to process was that it was just four short Novembers ago that Steve announced his retirement. He had battled through prostate cancer and my thinking was, after that, he embraced the fact that life is just too darn short and it would be smart for him to spend more time with his family.

Now, to be clear, Steve and I were not best friends. While we were co-workers and acquaintances, but whenever you had a chance to talk with Steve, he made you feel like his best friend. Over a four-year period, we were both co-workers in the KOMO broadcasting empire. He was down the hall in TV, I was in radio, as Larry Nelson’s morning show producer.

To be honest, when Steve first took over the weather duties at KOMO, I was a bit resentful towards him. After all, he was brought in after the brass upstairs forced out that crazy Ray Ramsey guy. Ray and I had become good friends due to our mutual interest of insane humor.

But you can’t help but just like Steve, one of the nicest, kindest people you would have ever met.

During my days at KOMO radio, I had an indirect connection with him. He had one of those TV magazine shows called “Frontrunners” and when Ruth Warrick from “All My Children” came into the building for interviews, since I was such a HUGE AMC fan at the time, they did a segment on me rushing home each day to catch the show, and then recorded me interviewing Ruth.

However, it’s interesting to note that Steve and I were both Communications Majors at the University of Washington at the same time, but our paths never crossed. I graduated three months before him. Back then, the common thought for communications majors, you really had two choices–stick around in a major market, starting at the bottom and climb your way up or head to a smaller market where you would be doing everything, gain some experience and then return to the market of your choice. I headed to Yakima, Steve got on at KOMO and climbed quickly.

Part of what is inspiring this blog today is that we’re getting ready for the 115th annual Apple Cup football game between the University of Washington and Washington State University. Flash forward to my days at KLSY, where we started a very fun tradition. Around this time of year, we would play an “Apple Cup Edition” of our Battle of the Sexes game in the morning show, with special guests: Kathi “Cougar” Goertzen versus Steve “Husky” Pool. Here’s one of those battles I dug up.

As you can hear, they were so much fun and there was always a bet. This is us in the KOMO garage where my KLSY morning show co-host Bruce Murdock, representing the Cougars, had to wash Steve Pool’s car. (since the Huskies won)

Steve only made it to 70, but he had the accomplishments of someone who was 170. A Seattle weather guy for 40 years, for a while the go-to fill-in guy on “Good Morning, America.” Emcee, singer, goofball and a guy that loved to laugh. A complete pro.

Think about where you were and what you were doing back in November of 2019, just four short years ago. It was right before the pandemic that nobody saw coming, but it was when Steve decided to hang up his barometer and retire.

I’m getting that Steve really didn’t pay much attention to his Facebook page. The posts are rare and scattered and, of course, tapered off in recent years.

That week when I heard he was retiring, I wanted to interview him before his final show. He hadn’t responded to my Facebook requests, so I went through the proper channels at KOMO and requested an interview. The second he got the message, he contacted me and we set it up. I believe I caught him on the Thursday night before his final show and he made it sound like two old friends getting together to chat.

Here’s the interview.

And almost four years later, to the day, he was gone.

I sent him a note following our chat to say thanks for the time and for all the kind things he had to say about me.

Those were very kind words about me tonight, sir. Around the time we lost Kathi, I dug out some of those “Battle of the Sexes” we did with you two around Apple Cup time. Great seeing you again. Congrats on your success and for staying such a great guy. You guys have a special family down there. Tim

He never responded. I hope he saw it.

Since it ’tis the season and his family will be going through their first Christmas without him, I thought I’d offer up this little piece Steve put together for the holiday season back in 1984.

Rest well, Steve. You really, REALLY deserve it. But know, you are missed.

Yes, one of the truly greats has left the building.

Tim Hunter