Former Hawaiʻi Public Radio Executive Dead At 61
José Fajardo died at his home in Honolulu of complications from ALS.
Staff and supporters of public radio in the islands are mourning the death of José Fajardo, who died Thursday.
Fajardo was president and general manager of Hawai‘i Public Radio from 2016 until earlier this year. He died at age 61 from complications from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
In an HPR story Thursday reporting his death, Fajardo was recognized for guiding HPR through programming and staffing expansions, a pandemic and industry-wide financial uncertainty.
When he retired in July, according to HPR’s Sophia McCullough and Bill Dorman, the station was “debt-free and financially sound” with $4 million in reserves and a $7 million endowment fund.
“José was an inspirational force in so many ways, from how he strengthened the work and impact of Hawai‘i Public Radio, to how he shared with courage and openness his ALS diagnosis,” HPR President and CEO Meredith Artley said.
According to HPR, Fajardo publicly advocated for others living with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which has no cure. It is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells and connections needed to control muscles.
“It’s important, I think, to keep the conversation going about ALS and the impact it has. It’s now robbing me of my passion of radio, and something that I’ve always loved to do,” he told HPR’s Catherine Cruz in a February interview.
Fajardo was raised in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, and fell in love with listening to and working in radio at an early age. He earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Central Texas, and an M.B.A. from Rollins College in Florida.
He served on the NPR Board of Directors from 2000 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2012, and on the boards of America’s Public Television Stations, Florida Public Broadcasting, and various Central Florida and Hawaiʻi organizations.
In 2016, Fajardo succeeded Michael Titterton, HPR’s longest-serving president and general manager, after serving as executive vice president position at the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce in Florida. Titterton died in October.
Fajardo’s initiatives at HPR, according to the news report, included completing its statewide transmitter network and moving all news programs to HPR-1, allowing HPR-2 to broadcast classical music 24/7.
He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Barrett Fajardo, five siblings, three children and three grandchildren.
