DENVER -- Longtime KUSA-TV meteorologist Bill Kuster died Saturday after a battle with leukemia. He was 76.

Kuster spent 16 years forecasting weather in Philadelphia before coming to Denver's KUSA in 1979. He remained a full-time forecaster for the station until his retirement in 1996, and he returned frequently for guest spots into the late 1990s.

Investigative reporter and weekend anchor Ward Lucas worked closely with Kuster. Instead of ego, Kuster was known for his folksy, funny nature and down-home approach, Lucas said.

Kuster was known in Denver for his work in the Kuster Garden. Each year he spent hours working on his vegetable garden. At harvest time he would enlist a restaurateur and prepare a meal for a homeless shelter in the city.

Kuster began his career when weather maps were large, painted murals, and forecasters had to write all the highs, lows and weather fronts on the map by hand. Before he retired, he ended up working with sophisticated computer systems.

Kuster is survived by his wife of 51 years, Dottie; a son, Mark; and daughter, Kim.

A funeral was scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday.

Donations can be make to the Leukemia Society of America or the Porter Hospice Foundation.