FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — With heavy hearts, WTWO announces the passing of longtime Meteorologist Dan Reynolds, more affectionately known as “Doppler Dan” or “Dop.”
Dan was 71 years old.
Dan began his career at WTWO in May of 1993. At that time he took over as a weekend meteorologist and remained in that role for his entire career of nearly 32 years. Dan was loyal to the viewers, the TV station, and the weather team.
“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Dan Reynolds,” Tim Sanders, VP/General Manager of WTWO/WAWV said. “Dan has been an important part of the WTWO weather team. He truly loved the Terre Haute community, always keeping a close eye on its economic growth and development. His passion, kindness, and humor will be greatly missed.”
Over the decades, Dan co-anchored alongside many faces, helping train some of the station’s newest anchors. He cared deeply for his co-workers both past and present and kept in touch with many former employees who he positively impacted during their time at the station.
“Dan was not only a co-worker but also a close friend,” WTWO Chief Meteorologist Jesse Walker said. “We worked through many big weather events together, including tornado outbreaks, snow storms, and the everyday challenges of our ever-changing weather. I’ve had many morning meteorologists in my years at WTWO, but one constant was always Dan Reynolds. For almost 32 years, we were a team, and I always knew I could count on him. It’s not going to be the same now without him, but I was blessed to have worked with him for so many years.
Dan was a passionate person who loved his career. In addition to forecasting the weather, Dan hosted a Tech Talk segment for several years, he stepped in as editor to keep our shows running smoothly, and on election nights, you could count on Dan to quickly input and update the website with poll numbers as fast as they came in.
“Dan would do anything that he was asked to do, Dan would go above and beyond. Not just for the weather team but for the whole station,” Meteorologist Julie Henricks said. “Dan was a hard worker and I think Dan came from a generation that understood what hard work was.”
To know Dan was to love him. His sense of humor and laugh lit up every room he walked into. Although his sense of humor was not often seen on air, he could always be counted on for a great joke. He always knew how to lighten the mood.
“I worked with Dan for more than 30 years and I adored Dan Reynolds,” Anchor Dana Winklepleck said. “I don’t think a lot of people realized how quick-witted he was. He was one of those people that when he walked in the door you knew it was going to be a good day and you were going to have fun.”
While Dan was not originally from the Wabash Valley, he loved the Wabash Valley. It became home to him. Dan planned to retire here this summer.
“If you really got to know him you knew that he was from Chicago, and he liked to talk about it. You knew he was a Notre Dame fan, and you never questioned his Irish loyalty, and you knew that this station was his home,” Henricks Shared
Dan will be greatly missed by all of us at the station and the viewers at home. We ask that you keep Dan’s family, friends, viewers, and co-workers in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate this difficult loss. His legacy will continue at WTWO.
