Services set for former longtime NWS weather observer

GAINESVILLE - A former longtime official weather observer for Gainesville will be buried Tuesday.

Bill Selllers died Saturday at his home at the age of 89.

In 1956, Sellers went to work for Gainesville radio station WGGA (now 1240 ESPN Radio), eventually becoming the station's program director.

Nine years later, with the death of Judge Sam Harben, the local weather observer for the National Weather Service, Sellers took over that job, and would continue as Gainesville's "cooperative weather observer" for more than 40 years.

In 2003, the US Department of Commerce (NOAA) awarded him the John Campanius Holm Award "for outstanding accomplishment in the field of meteorological observations," and in 2010 he received the prestigious Dick Hagemeyer Award, given "for serving 45 or more years as a Cooperative Weather Observer."

His love of trains would prove too strong, however, and in 1967, he went to work for the then-Southern Railroad (now Norfolk Southern). Retiring in 1986, Sellers then devoted devoted himself to his hobby of model railroading, and as a member of the Norfolk Southern Historical Society also had several articles published in magazines devoted to railroading.

A graveside service will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery at 1:00 Tuesday.