‘Voice of Taupō’ signs off
Andrew Leiataua and partner Leanne have been together for 33 years.
One thing everyone agrees on is that Andrew Leiataua wouldn’t have wanted a big fuss made about him – that was his job.
By Dan Hutchinson
After more than three decades on the airwaves, including 20 years at More FM Taupō, Andrew died suddenly on Saturday from an unexpected medical condition at his Taupō home.
The energetic, happy, youthful 61-year-old was running around the day before recording yet another soundbite and video on the lakefront for social media with colleague and fellow radio host Sean Dykstra.
No-one, including himself, could have predicted it would end so soon.
His impact on the community as the ‘voice of Taupō’ is reflected in the bouquets of flowers in the living room, where family mingle and talk to visitors who have come to hug and cry and say goodbye to Andrew.
It is reflected in the thousands of well wishers on social media posts, the phone calls and national news stories.
His partner of 33 years Leanne Hall says while Andrew was a very public figure in Taupō, he was “fiercely private” in his family life.
She penned a note from the heart to sum up the “love of her life”.
“Our beautiful Andrew was an incredibly private man whose greatest love and devotion was always reserved for his family. Behind that beautiful velvet voice so many people knew and loved was a husband and father with an enormous heart, a fierce love for those closest to him and an unwavering devotion to his family.”
She says his love for his family, which includes their two adult children Kyzsana and Bronson, was at the centre of everything he did every day.
“We will miss his presence, his strength, his crazy Dad jokes and, above all, the extraordinary love he gave us every single day. Our world is shattered and will never be the same without him.”
She says the scale of the public response caught even those closest to him off guard.
Bronson and Kyzsana both live in Auckland now – where Andrew was born and raised and spent the first 10 years of his radio career.
Bronson says his father would talk about something and the next minute you would be doing it.
"If any one of us was doing anything, Dad would be there to support it. He would just push you along the way. If it was with us, it was never too much."
Kyzsana says they each had their own activities they liked to do with Dad and things they did as a family, including many epic karaoke nights.
Andrew and partner Leanne with their children Kyzsana and Bronson.
“He was a great dad. Actually, he was the best dad."
Leanne says Andrew was proud of his Samoan heritage and his favourite casual attire was a lavalava.
He also liked testing himself and did the Cycle Challenge several times, plus a charity fundraiser Dancing with the Stars, which he practiced relentlessly.
He was competitive with everything he did and won numerous awards for various things, including Best Music Host – Provincial at the 2014 New Zealand Radio Awards for the Andrew Leiataua Breakfast Show.
More FM Taupō and Rotorua manager Emma Long says most people in Taupō know Andrew, even if they don’t listen to More FM, because he was out and about on the microphone at so many events.
His co-host and colleague Sean Dykstra was among the last people to see him. The two had spent Friday together as usual — recording a video down at the lakefront, catching up after the show.
"It was just normal Andrew, happy-go-lucky, cracking jokes," Sean says.
Andrew’s career stretched back over 30 years. He began in Auckland, working across several stations before landing at Kis FM in Taupō, which was subsequently bought by More FM.
"He always told me he will not leave this studio until we ask him to hang up his hat. And we did not ask him to hang up his hat."
Sean had the tough job of filling Andrew’s usual morning spot this week, especially with regular weekday host Jack Girling away overseas.
Voice messages were coming in faster than they could be played on air and Sean says he barely made it through a third of them.
Andrew was known for getting out into the community far more than most breakfast hosts.
"He wanted to be where the action was; That's what he liked doing — bringing the show to the listeners."
Emma says his commitment went well beyond what the job required.
"Andrew was content and he did his content, so if he saw an opportunity where More FM could help and engage, it didn't matter whether we were going to make any money or anything. He was there."
Outside of radio, Andrew was passionate about mountain biking, motocross, the Blues rugby team, and karaoke — a highlight of many family gatherings.
"He used to sing like Ronan Keating was in the room. He had a beautiful voice," Leanne says.
He also had a brief stint on Shortland Street in the early days of the show, playing a barman named Geoff — a fact, his family says, he never let anyone forget.
In his honour, the More FM Taupō studio — which is getting a long-awaited refurbishment — will be named the Andrew Leiataua Studio.
The station confirms breakfast will remain local, with no replacement being sought at this stage and Jack stepping in to drive the morning content.
"We just want to honour Andrew, be with his family, be with our internal staff, and celebrate. That's what we're focusing on," Emma says.
A public memorial is being planned on Saturday at the Great Lake Centre with doors opening at midday and the service starting at 12.30. It will also be livestreamed on the More FM Taupō Facebook page.
Leanne says the service will reflect Andrew.
"He didn't like a lot of fuss. Short, sharp, simple. That's what he would have wanted."
His older brother Steve says Andrew lived life by his own rules. One of five children, Andrew was the only one who played rugby, instead of soccer and while everyone else drove cars, Andrew liked motorbikes.
He had come up from Christchurch to be with the family and says, while he knew Andrew was a well-known local radio personality, he was blown away by the level of support shown by the Taupō community.