Tribute to Laszlo Hodosy

Laszlo Hodosy, a bright and beaming force behind the Santa Barbara Independent since before the Independent first started in 1986, took leave of life on Sunday, November 12. Laszlo managed to pack a whole lot of living into his all-too-short 61 years. The child of immigrants — Laszlo’s mother was from Latvia, his father from Hungary — Laszlo worked as an advertising salesperson for the Independent and the Weekly before that. He was an old-school, shoe-leather style salesperson endowed with an innate genius for liking people.

He knew everyone on State Street, and everyone knew Laszlo right back. That he was whip-smart, warm, curious, and liked to laugh didn’t hurt either. In another incarnation, Laszlo could easily have been a traffic engineer or meteorologist. His brain was just wired that way. But he fell into journalism instead, first as a photographer for the Santa Barbara Channels and soon thereafter as editor in chief. To an exceptional degree, Laszlo believed in journalism and cared intensely about politics. Just as passionately, he loved Santa Barbara, always appreciating what a weirdly wonderful bubble he was lucky enough to inhabit.

Even after leaving the paper in 2019, Laszlo would call at all hours to pass along story ideas, sales tips, or a few choice comments about the latest transgressions perpetrated by Donald Trump. Laszlo’s laughter and enthusiasm were infectious. A celebration of Laszlo’s life is scheduled to take place December 17 at the Cabrillo Pavilion, starting at 1 p.m.