About 200 people, from broadcast journalists to politicians, attended a celebration of Cec Heftel’s life today at Hawaii Theatre.

Heftel, 85, died Feb. 4 in San Diego.
U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawaiçi called Heftel a legend for his time who had a zest for life.
“He had a keen mind,” Inouye said. “He could cut through rubbish and see what mattered. He was a good man and when he left, we all missed him.”
Heftel, who came to the Islands in the late 1960s, bought and ran KGMB-AM and FM and the television station. Under his leadership many, including news anchor Bob Sevey, George “Granny Goose” Grove, Hal “J. Akuhead Pupule” Lewis, became local favorites.
In addition to being a broadcaster, Heftel got into politics in the early 1970s, first as a delegate to the state and national Democratic conventions and later as an elected congressman, serving from 1977 to 1986, when he resigned to run for governor. His last elected position was as a member of the Board of Education.
Said his wife, Rebecca Heftel: “Every life he touched, he made a difference. He was fabulous.”