"He was a great athlete, a great artist and he had a great business mind," said UH defensive coordinator George Lumpkin, who recruited Stennis. "I used to wonder how one person could have so much going for him."

Artie Wilson, a former UH basketball player, said: "He was one of those good all-around guys. This university was fortunate to have him come through the school. It’s a very sad day. Not only has his family lost a father and a husband and a son, but we’ve lost a good friend and the world has lost a good man."

Stennis’ family owned a chain of chicken restaurants throughout California. Stennis and former NBA standout Magic Johnson had planned to open Fat Burger restaurants on O'ahu before Stennis was diagnosed with cancer last year.

Stennis also had served as a trustee for the California state university system.