ABC7 Chicago says farewell as Meteorologist Phil Schwarz retires

CHICAGO (WLS) — It’s a bittersweet time here at ABC7 as we say goodbye to our friend and colleague, Phil Schwarz.

Phil is retiring Wednesday and we’re celebrating his final day and looking back on his outstanding career.

“It’s been a dream career for me as I was always fascinated with the weather since the blizzard of 1967,” Schwarz said. “I was seven years old in Flint, Michigan, and was fascinated by what could cause such an amazing amount of snow.”

That’s when he said he knew he wanted to be a meteorologist.

After graduating high school and earning his meteorology degree from Penn State, he worked at AccuWeather and then TV stations in Flint, Minneapolis and New York, before eventually ending up at WLS in Chicago.

“I will never forget my first interview and hearing how this was such a great station from people like Frank Mathie, John Drury and Paul Meinke,” he said. “This made an indelible impression on me and I knew that this is the station and this is the city I wanted to make my home.”

Now, after 28 years, he said he is ready for retirement.

“Not that I will be completely out of the picture, as I do intend on filling in from time to time. But for now, I plan on spending more time with family, including my two wonderful granddaughters, and to explore the world as much as I can,” Schwarz said. “So while this isn’t truly goodbye, it is pretty much the end of a wonderful and fulfilling career.”