"He's a lot more important than the guy sitting on our bench," said UH basketball coach Riley Wallace, who employed Woolaway as a dollar-a-year administrative assistant for 17 seasons. "Our players used to take Hawaiian history, and they asked, 'Is the guy we're reading about related to Coach Woolaway?' I told them, 'That is Coach Woolaway."

Woolaway is co-founder of 'Ahahui Koa Anuenue, the fund-raising organization for the UH athletic department.

He was chairman of the Rebublican Party for all of the Western states in 1968.

He helped found the Punahou School Carnival.

He also was the former owner of Gray Line Hawaii and vice-president of Alexander & Baldwin.

In recent years, he was best known as Wallace's long-time assistant coach. After complaining that he didn't always receive his $1 annual salary, Wallace gave him a plaque covered with $1 bills.

"He was more than a friend to the University of Hawai'i," Wallace said. "He was a friend to the state of Hawai'i."