When Bob Keaunui died Sept. 7, at age 76, he left behind family, friends, a Hawaii tennis world where he was a larger-than-life figure, and thousands of grateful players and parents.

Robert Stanley Kamaluuluolele Keaunui was inducted into the Hawaii Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008. Born in Lahaina in 1936, he was brought up in the legendary Shigesh Wakida’s no-child-left-behind school of tennis instruction.

Keaunui entered the Army, retired in 1975 after a 20-year career and became the Shigesh Wakida of Windward Oahu. Inspired by Wakida’s inclusive style, Keaunui encouraged any and all kids to take lessons with him at public parks. They came in droves, to Kailua, Waimanalo, Kahaluu, Hauula and Kaneohe District Park, until a variety of medical problems combined to end his life.

His kids teams were famously known as "Bob’s Mob" and no one was left out. If kids could pay, fine. If they couldn’t, fine too.

If they needed a racket, a ride or a few bucks for league fees, Keaunui was their man.

He built an adult following, with "Bob’s Angels" a big part of the league circuit for 20 years. Some players on the Windward side trace their tennis history back three generations with Keaunui, who also refereed and volunteered.

One of his first students became one of Hawaii’s finest players. Rosie (Vera Cruz) Bareis wandered onto the Kailua District courts as a high school junior. Keaunui began with the basics and Bareis thrived, becoming Hawaii’s — and the University of Hawaii’s — finest female player.

She needed more than lessons in tennis from Keaunui, the Kailua High School coach from 1977 to 1990. Bareis refused to wear a skirt for high school matches, which was mandatory.

"Finally, after never playing for three weeks, he said, ‘Just wear shorts underneath,’ " recalls Bareis, now director of tennis at The Claremont Resort & Spa in California. "I said, ‘Oh yeah, Bobby, good idea.’ He got me to play on the team."

Bareis remained close friends with Keaunui the rest of his life and will come home for Monday’s service. Her best memory is much the same as what his family found most endearing: Keaunui’s serenity.

"I don’t think I ever saw that guy get mad," Bareis says. "He was always positive and very encouraging. I’ve never see him mad at anything or anybody. As a coach it’s pretty hard to never snap. I’m sure there were times he wanted to snap, but that guy never snapped in any way, shape or form."

Keaunui’s daughter, Debbie Pihana, said it wasn’t always that way, growing up all over the world. She was born in Boston, and her brothers in Germany and Turkey, where she warmly remembers getting to school on cobblestone streets in a horse-drawn carriage.

But once the family settled in Kailua and her father began his tennis mission, she was as awed as Bareis at her father’s infinite patience.

"My best memory is watching him coach kids," Pihana says. "I used to take my kids to lessons with him. When I watched him he had so much patience. To see him work with all those kids was amazing. Parents, too. I thought, ‘How does he do this, how does he do this?’ "

"Coach Bob" did it exceptionally well, for 35-plus years. More than 20 of "his kids" were in the 2006 state high school championship. Many more never reached those heights, but had just as much fun.

He had a rare knack for keeping it moving, meaningful and engaging for large groups, along with his treasured grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

And he was as reliable as he was patient, always showing up.

"Every single day," Bareis said. "He was like money."

She also recalls him being big on match play.

He was just plain big, by every definition. A large man — who could really play in his day — with an even larger spirit and a huge Hawaiian heart.

"I’m having such a hard time trying to figure out how much food to order for the (Monday) service," says Pihana, who lives in Hilo. "I can’t imagine how many people there will be, but I was told Dad touched a lot of people’s lives. He was a very loving man. He had a heart as big as his body."

Keaunui is survived by children Robert Jr. (Lopaka), Ravern (Vern), Debbie Pihana and Keri Prowse, 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Visitation and public services will be Monday from 9:30 a.m. at Hawaiian Memorial Park Mortuary.