Dennis Washington, who worked for almost 18 years as a meteorologist at Birmingham’s WBRC Fox 6, died Tuesday morning of leukemia.

He was 49.

Washington had been undergoing treatment in Texas for several weeks and receiving chemotherapy since May, according to his Facebook page. “Thank you for loving us,” his last post read.

Former coworkers and friends paid tribute to Washington on social media.

“Dennis is one of the best men I’ve ever known. Anyone who knew him felt the same way,” said Janice Rogers, a Fox 6 news anchor. Good Day Alabama anchor Mike Dubberly said Washington had a “heart of gold.”

Rick Karle of WVTM 13 said Washington was “the eternal optimist.”

“In the tough, high pressured world of local television news, Dennis was a calm, steady, reassuring voice with a smile that never left,” Karle wrote.

Washington may be best known for his work on April 27, 2011, when he and a photographer chased an EF-4 tornado through Tuscaloosa, providing coverage throughout the day as the storm continued into the Birmingham area.

Washington had been working for Alabama Power in various capacities since 2016, according to his work biography. He also assisted church groups with communication strategies.

He and his wife, Stacy, have been married since 1997. They have twin daughters, Morgan and Katelyn, born in 2001.