ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA -- A familiar face to News 11 viewers has died. Charles Umpenhour, WTOL's chief meteorologist for 16 years, died Tuesday at his home in Elkins, West Virginia. His family tells us he had been battling lymphoma for several years. He was 72.
Charlie retired from WTOL in August 1994, back when we called our 6:00pm broadcast "Toledo 11, The News Channel at Six." On his last day, Charlie opened some gifts, and cut a cake with his friends and co-workers.
He also shared some valuable insight on that day in 1994 that still rings true today. "I think all of us have a time and a place when we don't fit. There's something else that's ahead of us," said Umpenhour at his retirement party. "You always have mixed feelings whenever you leave some one, but at the same time there's other challenges and new things to learn and more people to meet, things to do."
"That's what life's all about," Umpenhour concluded.
At the time, he laid out plans to continue lecturing and teaching, as well as traveling with his family.
Umpenhour is survived by his wife, Betty, and three sons. The entire News 11 family extends its condolences. Charlie will be missed.
