Perhaps no other person has influenced my life more than the iconic Connecticut meteorologist Mel Goldstein, who passed away yesterday at the age of 66 following a courageous 16-year battle with cancer. Dr. Mel was arguably the most respected weatherman in the Northeast, and he was a tremendous inspiration to me, professionally and personally, especially during his final years of life.
Dr. Mel first hired me, a 20-something youngster a few years removed from college, as an assistant at his Western Connecticut State University weathercenter in 1986. He knew about my interest in weather, and soon after I learned about his tremendous passion for all things meteorological, including his childlike excitement whenever a storm was brewing. Yes, that's a photo of Dr. Mel and me formulating a forecast at the WCSU weathercenter in 1986.
I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Dr. Mel for giving me the opportunity to learn from him and work for him. He always smiled and was ever the optimist, no matter what obstacles or challenges stood in his way. In fact, I wouldn't be where I am today without his help and support. He taught me to give my best every day, and I truly wanted to emulate him.
"Part of it was the fascination," Dr. Mel explained about his passion for weather. "The other part was the excitement." I worked a 10-hour shift every weekend at his weathercenter, and many times I remember Dr. Mel greeting me when I arrived for work and wishing me a safe drive home when I left. It seemed like he lived at the weathercenter, and he lived for weather.
"I never lost the interest of sharing this with other people," Dr. Mel once said. "I wanted to explain and tell the story as I understood the story to be." For years, he authored a daily weather column which appeared in the Hartford Courant. I was amazed at the variety of topics and wealth of knowledge he shared with his readers. Many times he would call me and dictate his article to me over the phone, and I would send it to the newspaper. Why do you think I blog as often as I do?
Dr. Mel was a respected professor at Western Connecticut State University, and he started the state's first degree program in meteorology. However, his influence on me extended well beyond the weathercenter. He helped me become the best teacher I could during my 10-plus years as a middle school teacher of Science. Engaging the students in hands-on experiments piqued their interest in what we were studying.
Dr. Mel's tremendous courage while battling multiple myeloma was an inspiration to many people. He kept working and doing what he loved 15 years after he was given 18 months to live. During that time, he showed us that the will to live and help others was stronger than his failing health. "There's nothing more satisfying than the feeling of helping other people," he said. "Being decent to people, being human, being understanding is far more important than anything else that we can do."
I often tell people if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. I learned that from Dr. Mel. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Arlene, and his daughters, Laura and Melody. Thank you, Dr. Mel. We will miss you very much.
Paul
