When it came to the weather, Keith Nichols was always in the middle of the storm. Nichols lost a battle with cancer Sunday. He was 57.

His work behind the scenes and on the air helped Live 5 viewers prepare for Mother Nature's worst.

His goal was always to warn viewers without hype.

"You want to make sure that you're putting the information out there so people can make their plans, get preparations. But at the same time, you can't panic," he once said.

Live 5 Chief Meteorologist Bill Walsh worked with Nichols for almost 16 years.

"He worked those early, early mornings. And I worked the nights. And we worked, you know, almost opposite each other. But during the severe weather event, it was one collaborative team effort. And in fact, Keith and I were really the first in the marketplace to do team weather coverage," Walsh said.

But weather wasn't Nichols' only trademark. He also was known for a segment called, "You Gotta Eat," which spotlighted Lowcountry restaurants.

Nichols spent most of his professional career in the Charleston area. Although most people remember him from television, his broadcasting roots were in radio.

Nichols was a star disc-jockey at WTMA in the 1970s before moving to television, first at Channel 4 then Live 5.

Former WTMA personality Bobby Nash worked with Nichols in the 1970s and said he always looked up to Nichols.

"The two things I remember is he was multi-talented. He could do anything he was called to do. And number two, he was a loyal, close friend," Nash said.

Nichols was known for his deep, authoritative voice. Charleston radio historian John Quincy researched Nichols for WTMA's tribute website, www.wtmamemories.com.

"WTMA's DJs were the stars of the Lowcountry," Quincy said. "They were as big if not bigger than the people on TV at the time. And I would say Keith Nichols was one of those stars."

After radio, Nichols' star would shine at Live 5, especially during the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, where he would choke up talking about the patients he was trying to help.

"How can you sit there and not do something? That's what I ask myself every year before I start this," he said during one appearance on the program.

Memorials in Keith's honor can be made to either South Carolina Via DeChristo Lutheran Church of the Redeemer at 714 Riverdale Drive in Charleston, or the Leukemia Society.

© 2008 WCSC, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.