When Tom Wills was WAVE 3 TV’s Chief Meteorologist, a career that spanned from 1969 to 2009, his weather predictions told us when to expect rain, snow, and of course, those beautiful sunny days to come. What he might not have predicted in his own life was enjoying the beauty of a completely open schedule that his retirement is now offering, “The freedom of time is quite good,” Tom says.
Rituals and Daily Life
“The last 21 years of my working career I had to get up at roughly 3:30 in the morning,” Tom says. This is why he likes not setting that alarm clock every day which gives his morning routine flexibility.
After breakfast, Tom and his wife Pam split the daily crossword puzzle. “She does the top half and I do the bottom half,” Tom says. And after their morning ritual, he might be off to the gym to get in a workout of lifting weights or using the treadmill, or he might head out to do some yard work and tend to his garden.
In between activities, Tom fits in some time for another great pastime — reading. He is an avid reader and says, “I normally read two newspapers a day.” Not stopping there, Tom is a member of an online book club. “I lean towards mysteries and things of that nature,” he says. As a Sherlock Holmes fan, Tom has read most (if not all) of the original canon and has delved into some of the more recent novels of the Sherlock mythology.
Relishing Retirement
Traveling is something that Tom and Pam make a priority in their lives. “My wife and I really like cruising,” Tom says. Being a self-proclaimed “cold weather person,” and a guy who really loves the snow, Tom truly appreciated taking cruises to places like Norway and Iceland. “I just love that part of the world,” Tom begins, “Norway was fantastic with all the greenery, forests, and the snow melting down the mountainsides.”
Tom’s love of cold weather fronts and forecasts hasn’t left him since leaving WAVE 3. He says, “I still keep up with the weather,” and since retiring this passion mixes in with all his other interests. He still maintains a weather blog but insists it’s “nothing highly formal,” only updating it when inspiration (or lightning) strikes.
Tom’s Advice
Tom’s recommendation is to stay moving. “As you get older you have to keep physically active,” Tom says. Whether it’s walking around the house a lot or walking around the block, Tom explains that staying active is beneficial because your physical flexibility can begin to decline as you age.
By Tonilyn Hornung | Photos by Patti Hartog
I loved watching you back then. You were the best!
Every year at Christmas Tom, I make several batches of your peanut butter candy also known as Buckeyes. Way back when I don’t know how long ago 30 40 years or more you gave out the recipe which was 1 lb of confectioners sugar, 16 oz jar of crunchy or smooth Jif peanut butter, two sticks of butter softened. You mix all that together. Then you take one bag of nestle semi sweet chips and add enough paraffin to make the chocolate syrupy. You roll the peanut butter mixture into balls and then you dip them into the chocolate. The best candy in the world thank you for sharing
I remember when Tom first came to wave 3 we watched it every night with my dad ..seems like yesterday…Good ole days..our bedtime was 7 pm till we got older ..