EL PASO — Ted Bender, former KTSM weatherman and El Paso city representative passed away at just after midnight Monday at the age of 87. Relatives said he did not survive a hip surgery, and had been suffering from heart problems. 

Bender, who was hired at KTSM in 1949, according to his daughter Marjorie Bender, worked for the station for 41 years.  During his lifetime, he partnered with former Mayor Raymond Telles to spearhead desegregation in El Paso, Texas two years prior to Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech in 1963. 

"All I have to say is that it's hot and dry and I'll be right 85 percent of the time," Bender's daughter, Marjorie, said of his favorite 'weatherman' line. 

Tune in to News Channel 9 Monday and Tuesday evening as we honor a prominent figure of El Paso.