Dr george fischbeck biography

George Richard Fischbeck (1922 - 2015)

GeorgeRichard(Dr. George)Fischbeck

Born in Wallington, Bergen, New Jersey, United States
Ancestors

Son of George Stelling Fischbeck and Johanna (Mohlenhoff) Fischbeck

Brother of Kenneth Henry Fischbeck, Dorothy L. Fischbeck and [private sister (1930s - unknown)]

[spouse(s) unknown]

Father of George Frederick Fischbeck

Died at age 92in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States

Profile last modified | Created 23 Mar 2021

This page has been accessed 406 times.

Biography

Dr. George Fischbeck is Notable.

George Fischbeck, better known as Dr. George Fischbeck, was a beloved television weatherman in Los Angeles for more than 25 years.

George was born 1 Jul 1922, at Wallington, Bergren County, New Jersey. He was the son of George Stelling and Johanna (Mohlenhoff) Fischbeck.

In 1930, when he was seven years old, he was residing on his parents' farm and attending school in Howell Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.

In 1940, George was seventeen years old and still residing on his parents' farm in Howell Township. He was still in school and was not working, although he certainly had plenty of responsibilities on the family farm.

In 1942, George, now 19, registered for the draft at Newark, New Jersey. That year, he was working for Crocker-Wheeler Electric Company, a manufacturer of electrical motors. He was described as 5' 10" and 156 lbs. with light complexion, brown hair and grey eyes.[1]

On 22 Mar 1943, George enlisted in the Army Reserve with the rank of Private 1st Class, at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He spent much of his service in Hawaii working as a tank mechanic[2] Later, he served in the Air National Guard during the Korean War, where he worked in the weather department and learned the basics of meteorology.

After his service, he moved to Albuquerque where he studied Anthropology, Archeology, and Geology at the University of New Mexico. He earned a bachelor's degree, followed by a master's degree in Education from UNM. Later, he earned an honorary doctorate from the university, allowing him to adopt the moniker "Dr. George". After college, George taught science in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for 23 years.

George married in Albuquerque in about 1949 and had two children, a son and a daughter. Sadly, his son, George Jr. was killed in an accidental shooting in 1977. He was just 22 years old.

In 1959, the station manager at local PBS Station KNME-TV asked him to host a 30-minute TV science program for Albuquerque students called Science 5. The show became so popular it was picked up by stations in 25 other cities.

In 1970, George was hired as an on-air meteorologist at NBC affiliate KOB-TV in Albuquerque, and he is credited with helping the station's newscast reach the #1 spot in its market. About 18 months later, he transferred to Los Angels, where he joined the KABC news team. Fischbeck remained at KABC from 1972 until 1990, when he retired briefly, before again returning to television, on station KCBS, where he did feature stories from 1993 to 1997.

George was known for his bow ties, dark eyeglasses, and bushy mustache, his animated and sometimes frenetic persona, and his always cheery demeanor both on and off the air. Well into his 80s, George volunteered as a docent at the Los Angeles Zoo, raised funds for firefighters, and worked children's toy drives.

Dr. George passed away of natural causes, 25 Mar 2015, at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in in Woodland Hills, Los Angels County, California. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.[3]

Sources

  1. ↑ World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, Amcestry.com (database online with images), serial number 46, order number 10832, George Richard Fischbeck.
  2. ↑ World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, Ancestry.com (database online), Service Number 12202684, George R. Fischbeck.
  3. ↑https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 24 March 2021), memorial page for Dr. George Fischbeck (1 Jul 1922–25 Mar 2015), Find a Grave Memorial no. 144156088, Maintained by Find A Grave.
  • 1930 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) New Jersey, Monmouth, Howell Township, ED 13-47, sheet 14A, dwelling 296, household of George Fischbeck [image 27].
  • 1940 US Federal Census, Ancestry.com (database online with images) New Jersey, Monmouth, Howell Township, ED 13-49, sheet 13A, dwelling 340, household of George S. Fischbeck [image 25].
  • Nelson, Valerie J., George Fischbeck (1922-2015) Madcap Weather Forecaster on TV, The Los Angeles (CA) Times, 26 Mar 2015, p. 15.
  • Nathanson, Rick, Beloved TV Weatherman, teacher died at 92, Albuquerque (NM) Journal, 26 Mar 2015, p. 20.