Iconic Meteorologist and Health Reporter Dr. Frank Field Passes Away at the Age of 100
Dr. Frank Field, a beloved meteorologist and health reporter who spent 25 years of his career at NBC’s New York station WNBC-TV, has died at the age of 100. Field passed away on Saturday in Florida, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering weather reporting and medical contributions.
Field’s impressive educational background included attending Brown University and MIT, where he studied meteorology. He also served as an Army Air Force meteorology officer during World War II. Additionally, he earned degrees in geology at Brooklyn College, optometry at Columbia University, and a doctorate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Field joined WNBC in 1958 and gained national attention when he became a regular guest on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. Despite playful banter with the popular comedian, Field maintained his dignity and authority as a meteorologist. He even took playful jabs at Carson during his weather reports, keeping viewers entertained.
Apart from his meteorology career, Field utilized his medical background to contribute to health and science reporting at WNBC. In 1983, he made headlines by covering an entire kidney transplant live on air, from the first incision to the final suture. Field’s efforts in publicizing the Heimlich maneuver before it gained widespread recognition within the medical community were also commendable.
Field’s impact on the industry and his colleagues was profound. Al Roker, the longtime meteorologist on NBC’s “Today,” paid tribute to Field on Instagram, acknowledging his influence on his career. Roker expressed his condolences to the Field family and fondly remembered how Field mentored him when he was starting in the industry. Roker mentioned fellow NBC meteorologist Willard Scott, who passed away earlier this year, and hoped that Field and Scott were sharing a weather map, laughter, and some bourbon in the afterlife.
After leaving WNBC, Field joined WCBS, a rival New York station, before concluding his television career at WWOR in 2004. Field’s dedication to public safety continued beyond his TV career as he campaigned for fire safety.
Field was preceded in death by his wife, Joan Kaplan Field, earlier this year. The couple had been married for an impressive 75 years and had three children, son Storm and daughters Allison and Pamela. Storm and Allison followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming TV meteorologists themselves. Field is also survived by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Dr. Frank Field’s contributions to meteorology, health reporting, and the television industry as a whole will be remembered and cherished. His impact on his colleagues and viewers alike is immeasurable, and he will be greatly missed.