This story was originally published at Inside Tucson Business, a sister paper of Tucson Weekly.
He may be considered Tucson’s most popular TV personality but KOLD News 13’s Chief Meteorologist Chuck George suffers from the mood disorder of depression. And that’s why he has been off the air on a leave of absence for the past month.
In a report prepared by news anchor Barbara Grijalva to air on the station’s 4 p.m. newscast Thursday (May 2), George explained, “My family tree is full of suicide, or depression, of addiction. They’re all interrelated and my family tree is just packed with it and I never thought it would happen to me.”
George explains his parents and grandparents died at young ages due to the illness but what caused his latest absence was the suicide death of a cousin.
“When he was growing up he was like my little brother and that event and that funeral unleashed something in me,” George said in the report. “Depression is cold and it’s dark and it feels like something on top of me. Something literally on top of me.”
He said he was catatonic four weeks after his cousin’s death. “I remember sitting and the sun rose and set and rose and set and rose and set and rose and set again while I stared.”
He has been under treatment since then.
KOLD General Manager Debbie Bush and News Director Michelle Germano said George would be back on the air Friday.
“We wanted to air his story before he returned to explain his situation both for the audience and to answer questions from people inside the station,” Bush said.
“And he’ll be here to do the weather in just as normal an environment as we can provide without having to answer a lot of questions,” Germano said.
George’s most recent leave of absence was his third in the last three years. He was gone for five weeks during March and April 2010 and again for six weeks in September and October 2011. The station had never before commented on the reasons for those absences, although news accounts talked of him slurring words on the air and acting strangely.
In the report that aired Thursday, George said that in his previous bouts, “I just thought, get over it. Get over it. You know you’ve got a great life. What’s wrong with you? And people in my life would tell me that too. And God, if I could I would.”
Despite the history of depression, George says he is the first in his family to get the help he needed.
In her report Grijalva says, some might wonder what to say to George or anyone suffering from depression.
“I think I would fine with somebody saying to me, ‘Hey, I hope you’re doing well.’ That to me, give me strength,” George answers.
George was a rising star in the Tucson market when he first came here in the early 1990s from Phoenix. He left in 1997 and worked in Houston before returning to KOLD in February 2003.
Soon after his return his upbeat on-air personality and live remote weather reports helped catapult him to the top-ranks of most popular TV personalities in the market, something that even competitors say is still the case.
This article appears in May 2-8, 2013.
Godspeed Chuck. You are so very talented and an asset to our community. Now you must deal with this serious illness in the public eye. Today, we are all Chuck George.
We support you Chuck. We understand. You are not alone.
good luck mr george…..its a terrible illness that does not get the attention it deserves! most people say “just smile and you will feel better” or “pull yourself up by the bootstraps”….unfortunately, a chemical imbalance in the brain is not fixed by platitudes…good for you for seeking help!!
Proud of him for continuing to fight. It’s no easy journey, that’s for sure.
Much support to Chuck. Takes a lot of courage to admit something like depression. Best wishes.
Wishing you only the best. When we are in Tucson (we’re snowbirds) I never miss watching you – you make every day a little brighter. Sending much support your way
We love you Chuck. It is difficult for many to understand how devastating depression can be unless they’ve been through it. I watch you all the time, and have been concerned for what ever was causing you trouble. And I didn’t care what it was. It takes courage to come right out and announce it. You are my hero. See, you are an even better man than I thought. My admiration for you has doubled!
You will help so many others by sharing what you have with all of us. Courage is an understatement!!! It is through support & encouragement that healing begins. Good for you for Chuck. You are loved even more…. Keep reaching out and up, everything has a greater purpose than we can usually see. God Bless You!
dammit chuck, just get back to forecastin’
I hope sharing your story will help others to seek help. Sometimes it helps to see the support you have in writing like all of these comments. God bless. Keep fighting.
Here’s to your brighter future, Chuck. There’ll be relief. So many share this malady. It’s time there was an answer. Be well.
George … join the very large crowd that shares your unique personality, pun intended. You are only human. It is time this deaease is accepted and not shunned. Just like anyone who is ill one deserves to be treated and cared for. You have hutzpa my friend. Birds of a feather keep us all out of the looney bin! LOL!! No shame. You are human.
Hope you get well Chuck and I do hope to see you again at the chili cookoff.You are not alone.I really like how you do the weather in our town.Better days ahead Chuck George.
Who doesnt?
hey Tucson Weekly!! what is with all the grammar and copy errors?? I used to be a copy editor for the school newspaper so maybe I am way more aware of these as opposed to the average reader; but I have been noticing A LOT more on the website. If you guys are looking for a copy editor, I do not have a degree in journalism or English but I am available for deadlines!
He also suffers from a severe case of total awesomeness. Making weather in Tucson interesting – monsoon season excluded – is a superhuman feat. You rule Chuck George.
Guess who else is depressed at KOLD? Um, I don’t know, everybody that ever had to work with Chuck on a daily basis. Guess what makes everyone pull it together at the end of the day? The fear of being fired….something Chuck George will apparently never have to worry about.
But I don’t blame Chuck. I blame those enablers at KOLD (aka the management) who care more about ratings than the well-being of their chief meteorologist. Maybe one of the worst fields of work to be in when you suffer from depression (AND ADDICTION) is one in which you’re always in the public eye. Not to mention being in a position where the station throws all their interest and stake onto your shoulders. You want Chuck to get better, let him find a career in a different field where he can use his science background on actual work (something that tends to help people who are trying to stay focused on something positive) and deal less on worrying about whether KOLD stays number 1 in the ratings seasons. He obviously hasn’t enjoyed working there for a number of years now.
Plus, as long as CBS has “Big Bang Theory” and “NCIS: Wherever” to lead in to the local newscasts, KOLD will be just fine anyway.
You are not alone! I have fought with depression most of my life and know exactly what you meant by watching the sun rise and set. It is part of my life and I accept that. But only a part. Thank you for just talking about your experiences.
What an embarrassing load of self-promotion and pandering on the part of KOLD.
ADAM!!! YEAH!!!!
When you don’t know what you don’t know —- there is no getting over depression with a quick fix — it is passed from generation to generation – however – in today’s world – there is medication (which has been my saving grace).
Depression is a serious matter.
It is sad day when management uses depression as an excuse to explain away serious abuse problems with on air talent and inept station management.
The station manager must have a sibling that reminds her of Chuck to have allowed this continued as long as it has.
There is little doubt that if Chuck did not make this public statement he would be unemployed.
I wish the best for Chuck but RAYCOM may also want to consider if a management change should be considered as well.
Jitu
Does he own guns, knives, pressure cookers, drive a car, or have fertilizer for the yard…. better have Dupnik raid his house and make sure. Good luck to the man though, it’s a tough condition.
How can you be depressed when you as a topic, garners the most comments on The Range © ?
So glad you’re back. You are the best weather guy around. Thank you for sharing your story; been there, done that. Good luck.