Iconic Philadelphia TV Weatherman Dave Frankel Dies at Just 67

Philadelphia has lost one of its most familiar faces of the 1980s and 1990s.

Former 6abc weatherman and reporter Dave Frankel has passed away at the age of 67 after a long battle with a serious health condition.

Frankel Was a Familiar Face on 6abc for Years

Dave Frankel joined the Action News team in the mid-1980s. He first worked as a reporter and later as an on-camera weather forecaster.

Though he wasn’t a trained meteorologist, he became a household name as his personality shined delivering the AccuWeather forecast weekday mornings in the early 1990s.

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“They needed someone to fill in for one night, and I happened to be in the newsroom. I didn’t know anything particular about weather,” Frankel told The Inquirer in 1998.

After years as a weatherman, Frankel transitioned back to reporting in the mid-90s, focusing on technology and the rise of the internet.

He ultimately left the station in 2000 to pursue a career in law.

Dave Frankel’s Long Health Battle

In early February, Dave’s wife, Marjie revealed that several years ago her husband was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia, a form of Frontotemporal Dementia.

Marjie recalled that it symptoms first started when Dave was no longer able to recall names a few years ago.

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Then she noticed his word comprehension was slipping before he was diagnosed by a team of medical professionals, she wrote. 

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Dave wanted to do "anything and everything" to slow or reverse the condition, but unfortunately not much could ultimately be done to slow the progression of the disease.

READ MORE: Whatever Happened to NBC10's John Bolaris? 

Frankel passed away peacefully in his Pennsylvania home on Wednesday morning, Marjie posted on Facebook.

Dave is survived by his wife, Marjie, and their three children his three children Bailey, Scott, and Charlie.