'Hawaiian Word' cartoonist Podesta, dead at 81

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Advertising executive Robert Podesta, who drew The Hawaiian Word of the Day cartoon for The Honolulu Advertiser in the 1990s, died Sept. 16 in Santa Cruz, Calif. He was 81.

PODESTA

Podesta was a frequent visitor to Hawai'i and he was fascinated by Mary Kawena Pukui's "'Olelo No'eau," a collection of Hawaiian proverbs, aphorisms and sayings. He approached The Advertiser with the idea of incorporating his "Tropical Fish" newspaper cartoon feature that illustrates quotations, proverbs and other words to live by, with the Hawaiian words.

While growing up in California, Podesta said he fell in love with Hawai'i, often staying up late at night to listen to a Honolulu radio station. While in college, Podesta said he was tossed out of class for wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

Longtime friend Harry Zenner, who was a member of the Santa Cruz Rotary Club along with Podesta, described Podesta as a "wonderful human being."

"He was a very warm, loving kind of guy," Zenner said. "He had a shock of white hair and was always very conversational, very enjoyable to know and to talk to."

Podesta was born on Sept. 7, 1921, in San Jose. He earned a bachelor's in business from Santa Clara University. After serving in the Army during World War II, he opened an award-winning advertising and public relations firm.

Twenty years later he sold the firm and started his own FM radio station. Podesta also was one of the original owners of the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association.

Podesta is survived by his wife, Cerena; sons, Bob and Marty; daughters, Mary Ann Burch, Jeanne Weir, Barbara Walsh, Sally Dodge, Patty Machado and Elisabeth Podesta; 25 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and stepsons, Len, Jeff, Mike and Tim Lafano.

Services were held in California.