Hardeman County Native Tim Simpson Retires After 29 Years of Weather Reporting
Former Hardeman County resident Tim Simpson delivered his final meteorology report to viewers of WREG on Friday, July 28, 2023, as he completed a 29-year career with the news station. Simpson heads into retirement with a move to South Carolina to be closer to family, taking with him many fond memories of his career, his colleagues, and the people who tuned in daily for his weather reports and good feeling stories. When asked what Simpson would miss the most about leaving WREG, he did not hesitate.
“The thing I will miss most about working at WREG? Hands down, the people! WREG is blessed with an incredible staff of people who do their jobs very well. They are committed to our community,” said Simpson. “I already miss my daily interactions with my co-workers. I’ve shared jokes with them, we’ve talked about family matters, even shared prayer requests with some of my friends at work. They are like family to me, and I already miss seeing them.”
With a little less endearment, but jokingly said, he shared what he would not miss.
“One thing I look forward to in retirement . . . not driving I-240 every day to work! The roadways in and around Memphis are very dangerous. I will not miss that at all,” said Simpson.
Tim Simpson was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Middleton, Tennessee. His father worked at the Bank of Middleton for 44 years and his mother was a homemaker and pianist at First Baptist Middleton and then Liberty Baptist Church where his family attended. Simpson still has cousins who live in the area and compared the memories of Middleton during that time to something reminiscent of an old James Stewart movie.
“If you’ve ever seen the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, my father was the George Bailey of our community. I was raised with an older brother, Mike, who passed away in 1994, and my sister, Holly, who now lives with her family in South Carolina,” said Simpson. “I love Hardeman County because of so many memories there. It was a big deal to travel from Middleton to Bolivar to grab a hamburger at Shag’s Coffee Shop or visit Frostyland for ice cream. JP Shellys was the go-to spot for so many of us in Middleton. You could buy a bottled Coke for 15 cents and hear an Otis Bizzle story for free.”
It was during his teens Simpson became interested in meteorology as a young aviation enthusiast. He received his student pilot’s license at age 16, then added his private pilot’s license and instrument rating.
“While flying, I was always captivated by the various cloud formations and became very interested in weather. A few years later, I was fortunate to be able to pursue both meteorology and broadcasting,” said Simpson. “My tv days started at WYFF-TV in Greenville, South Carolina back in 1985. I moved to WHNT-TV in 1987 as chief meteorologist, then to Memphis in 1994 in that same capacity.
Simpson notes the best part of his job was meeting and interacting with the viewers of WREG. Anyone who knows Simpson can tell he has never met a stranger.
“I’ve always enjoyed having conversations with our viewers and hearing their stories. I made several friends over the years through my work at WREG,” said Simpson who does admit there were some viewers who kept him on his toes, and he could never satisfy them regardless of how well he did his job. “Forecasting weather on a day-to-day basis can be very challenging, especially when there is a threat of severe weather or wintry precipitation. Viewers represent a wide spectrum of ages and personalities. You had better be accurate in our business or viewers will let you know. No matter how much training you receive, or the number of computer models used in shaping a forecast, no forecaster will ever be 100 percent accurate.”
It was not unusual for Simpson and his weather team to receive messages from viewers who were not shy about “sharing their opinion” through snail mail, a “snarky” e-mail, voicemail, or social media. Some of the complaints that came in would be regarding their attire, programming editing, and just the way the team presented the weather.
“I always enjoyed responding with a kind e-mail and encouraged them to keep watching,” said Simpson, who also garnered an audience with his Pass It On news segment that became the biggest blessing of his broadcast career. “We were able to help so many people in need. A thousand dollars may not seem like a lot of money, but for someone who lost everything in a house fire or doesn’t have the means to bury a loved one, or is struggling with a life-threatening medical situation, one thousand dollars can make all the difference in the world. Pass It On made me much more aware of the difficult life circumstances so many people face.”
With his retirement, Tim is looking forward to a new season in his life that once again includes being surrounded by his children (and their families). He and his wife, Leah, moved to South Carolina in July. They are quickly getting settled and have already had the opportunity to spend cherished time with family.
“My wife, Leah and I, attended a cookout in Clemson last week with my sister and brother-in-law. Two days ago, I was at Lake Keowee all day with my son, Joseph. I also spent some time with our oldest son, Tim Jr., as well. We didn’t have these opportunities while in Memphis because we lived too far away,” said Simpson. “I’m also looking forward to cooler temperatures and less humidity. We bought a house on a mountain here in South Carolina. While we do have more bears than I’d like, we don’t miss the Memphis heat and humidity. It is so much cooler here at 3,200 feet.”
Life in South Carolina will be more relaxed as he and Leah pursue other interests. They both love the hobby of pottery making and plan to set up a pottery studio and explore that creative venture. Other ways they plan to stay busy are traveling and playing golf. Simpson left Tennessee thankful for the experiences he had and now lives in South Carolina expectantly waiting for what God has planned next for him.
“I’ve been blessed with a good career, a wonderful family, and an amazing church community at Bellevue Baptist Church. I’ve learned that no matter what happens in life, keep your eyes on the Lord. There are so many circumstances and people in life that will disappoint, but God will never fail you,” said Simpson.
Read more local news by clicking here.
Stay informed on what’s happening in Hardeman County by following Hatchie Press on Facebook and Subscribing to Hatchie Press e-mail updates.
Do you have community news you’d like to share? E-mail us at news@hatchiepress.com.
