Friends of TV meteorologist Rich Apuzzo, who died last month at 52 without insurance, have launched a GoFundMe effort for his widow Ruthie and their three sons.
鈥淲ithout him, I wouldn't have the career I have today. He changed my life,鈥� says John Gumm, WKRC-TV鈥檚 鈥淕ood Morning Cincinnati鈥� forecaster and Apuzzo鈥檚 first intern at WXIX-TV (Channel 19).
鈥淗e also helped many others in the broadcast meteorology community. With that in mind, we have come together to create a Go Fund Me page to help Ruthie and the boys. If you could pass along the link on your blog, it would be great. 鈥�
So here is the fund.
As I , Apuzzo died July 7, six months after he announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and didn鈥檛 have any insurance. His grieving family has yet to plan a memorial service.
Rich and Ruthie, his wife of 28 years, owned and operated Skyeye Weather LLC, a weather consulting and education service, since he left WXIX-TV in 2006. He was Channel 19鈥檚 chief meteorologist from the station鈥檚 news premiere in 1993 until 2006.
He also did forecasts for KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas, and WATM-TV/WWCP TV in Johnstown, Pa., after studying geography and weather forecasting at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. During a visit to his alma mater, he met student John Gumm.
鈥淲hen I was working at the radio station WVUR at Valparaiso University (I did the "coveted" Saturday night midnight-2am shift) this fellow walked in Homecoming Weekend and said he used to work there when he was in college. I asked him what he did now. He said he was a meteorologist. I got excited because that was my major and I told him such. I asked him where and he said Cincinnati. I told him that was my hometown, and the rest was history.
鈥淪ince the newscast was brand new in 1994, I had no clue who he was. I planned on a career with the National Weather Service, but he convinced me to do an internship with him. That was back in the days of the (Channel 19) Midnight News. I worked 8 hours a day, 5 days per week in the summer of 1995.
鈥淚 was hooked. He helped me make a resume tape (which was horrible) and a former producer for Jerry and Norma at Channel 5, who was then a news director in Rock Island, IL, hired me over the phone because "Your tape is pretty bad, but I see potential. Plus, you're from Cincinnati and I love that place. My ex wife and kids are there. This job also pays so little I haven't been able to get anyone else to take it."
Rich and Ruthie have three sons, Ricky III, 26; Ron, 20; and Ryan, 15.
The GoFundMe goal is $100,000. In February, Apuzzo announced the Rich Apuzzo Sunny Day Fund at Fifth Third Bank, which is still active.
