BLUFFTON, S.C. — On Sunday, friends and family gathered to pay tribute to Mark Robertson, celebrating the remarkable impact he left behind.
Robertson departed this life in April 2026.
For nearly 50 years, Robertson was a familiar voice on the 98.7 The River morning show, where he engaged listeners with traffic updates and engaging trivia.
“Mark was integrated into the everyday rhythms of countless lives for decades,” shared his friend Debbie Szpanka, reflecting on how his updates guided listeners to affordable fuel and weekend happenings.
The event to remember Robertson unmistakably highlighted the influential mark he left on the people at the gathering and the broader Lowcountry community.
“He was the brainchild of the Christmas Wish,” said Szpanka. “So when people were having a financially challenging time during the holidays, he had a whole program that you could write into, and he would solve your Christmas wish.”
They say he touched the lives of many people.
“He was one of the most gentle, kind, funny people and a work ethic that was out of this world,” said Bill Edwards, a colleague of Robertson.
He also had a strong impact on animals.
“Mark was a fierce defender of animals,” said Szpanka. “He loved loved loved animals, and he was very active with the Palmetto Animal League.”
The Palmetto Animal League was at the celebration with dogs ready for adoption.
His friends also held a raffle of some of his favorite records and CDs. The proceeds from that will go towards the Palmetto Animal League and other shelters.
His friends said his celebration of life was meant to be just that.
It’s a celebration of life because he just enriched everybody’s life,” said Laura Anderson Picone, a friend of Robertson. “He tried to make life lighter for people and for animals, so we’re trying to make his passing lighter.”