Ric Estrada, a Cuban-born artist and illustrator whose work graced the pages of D.C. Comic titles as well as animated television series during the 1980s, passed away May 1 among family in Provo, after battling prostate cancer.

Born 1928 in Cuba, Estrada saw his first illustration published at the age of 13 in the well-known magazine Bohemia .

He attended school with Fidel Castro at the University of Havana, and left his country for the United States to settle in New York City before the Cuban revolution. Seth Estrada said his father was aided in his relocation by Ernest Hemingway, who helped cut through bureaucratic snags at the U.S. consulate in Havana.

An ambidextrous artist, Estrada first built his career drawing super heroes such as Superman and Batman for D.C. Comics. His favorite comic subjects, however, were romance and war.

An enthusiastic convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church at age 40 while living in West Berlin, Estrada became known as the "Father of Mormon Comics" after illustrating panels telling the story of the Mormon Battalion.It was a title he chafed over, according to his son, who is currently producing a documentary film about his father's life and work.

"He felt comfortable being a pioneer in that arena, but certainly not the father," Seth Estrada said. "It put him on a pedestal he never felt comfortable with."

Estrada later took his growing family to Thousand Oaks, Calif., to work in Southern California's burgeoning animated television market. When his children were enrolled at Brigham Young University, he relocated to Provo in two years ago.

"Even as he dealt with illness, he was so wonderfully optimistic, loving and giving," said Sherrie Hall Everett, Estrada's neighbor and vice chair of the Provo Municipal Council. "I was honored to get to know him as a neighbor first, then learned of all he accomplished in his life."

Seth Estrada said his father's art helped him express the awe and enchantment he felt toward the world. "The themes that run throughout my father's life are the search for legitimacy, redemption and an undying sense of wonder," his son said.

Estrada is survived by his wife, Loretta, nine children and 11 grandchildren. Viewings will be held May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., and May 9 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. prior to 11 a.m. funeral services at the LDS Chapel, 2799 W. 1390 North, Provo. Donations may be made to the LDS Church's humanitarian fund at www.ldsphilanthropies.org.