BELOVED FORMER KNOXVILLE METEOROLOGIST MATT HINKIN PASSES AWAY Former WATE Chief Meteorologist Matt Hinkin, who spent over three decades providing weather coverage for East Tennessee, has died at the age of 62. Hinkin retired from WATE Channel 6 in August 2021 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, Hinkin earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University and later pursued an Atmospheric Science Degree from the University of Kansas. His broadcasting career began with KSNF in Joplin, Missouri, and KSNT in Topeka, Kansas, before he joined WATE in Knoxville in 1990. Hinkin and his wife, Deborah, met while both worked at WATE. The couple married and spent 28 years together before Deborah’s untimely death in a car crash in November 2020. Details about Hinkin’s funeral arrangements were not disclosed, though plans are expected to be announced soon. Throughout his career, Hinkin became a familiar face to viewers in East Tennessee, known for his expertise and dedication to weather forecasting. His retirement in 2021 marked the end of a career that spanned more than three decades, leaving a lasting impact on the community he served.#knoxville #matt_hinkin #parkinsons_disease #wate_channel_6 #deborah_hinkin
