Brett Ferino
06-14-2002, 05:14 PM
The calming voice from amid the maelstrom of The Weather Channel's coverage of hurricanes and tropical storms is dead.
John Hope, 83, the Marietta-based cable channel's hurricane expert, died today from complications following recent heart surgery.
An obituary posted on the network's Web site, www.weather.com, said Hope joined the operation in 1982 as tropical coordinator and an on-air meteorologist. That was the same year the network premiered on cable.
Previously, John was a senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami and spent a lifetime with his passions, meteorology.
'John Hope literally personified The Weather Channel to consumers ,'' wrote Frank Batten Sr. , the network's founder, in his recently published book, ''The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon.'' "John was a role model for our staff and symbol for what we stand for: integrity, expertise, reliability.''
John attended the University of Illinois where he majored in mathematics. He earned a master's in meteorology from the University of Illinois, according to his network biography.
Heart problems led to his semi-retirement in 1997 but he returned the following year to help with coverage of the hurricane season and continued to do so through the 2001 season.
His death comes just 13 days into the 2002 season.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Bernice; his daughter, Camille L. Hope of Macon; sons James C. Hope of Lilburn, Dr. Thomas D. Hope of Macon Joseph R. Hope of Atlanta; six grandchildren; and his brother, Leonard Hope of Dalton.
John Hope, 83, the Marietta-based cable channel's hurricane expert, died today from complications following recent heart surgery.
An obituary posted on the network's Web site, www.weather.com, said Hope joined the operation in 1982 as tropical coordinator and an on-air meteorologist. That was the same year the network premiered on cable.
Previously, John was a senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami and spent a lifetime with his passions, meteorology.
'John Hope literally personified The Weather Channel to consumers ,'' wrote Frank Batten Sr. , the network's founder, in his recently published book, ''The Weather Channel: The Improbable Rise of a Media Phenomenon.'' "John was a role model for our staff and symbol for what we stand for: integrity, expertise, reliability.''
John attended the University of Illinois where he majored in mathematics. He earned a master's in meteorology from the University of Illinois, according to his network biography.
Heart problems led to his semi-retirement in 1997 but he returned the following year to help with coverage of the hurricane season and continued to do so through the 2001 season.
His death comes just 13 days into the 2002 season.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Bernice; his daughter, Camille L. Hope of Macon; sons James C. Hope of Lilburn, Dr. Thomas D. Hope of Macon Joseph R. Hope of Atlanta; six grandchildren; and his brother, Leonard Hope of Dalton.