At 5 feet 2, Jim Alegre was a giant in Hawai'i's basketball world for the past five decades. And now his loss leaves a vacuum felt as far away as State College, Pa., and Annapolis, Md.

Alegre, whose glowing personality and 34 hugely successful seasons as Radford High School's boys basketball coach made him one of the sport's most popular figures, died of nasopharyngeal cancer Sunday at The Queen's Medical Center.

He was 68.

Marsha Alegre said her husband had been battling the rare disease for more than a year. But in typical Alegre fashion, his famous smile never faded and he continued to contribute to Hawai'i hoops almost until the very end.

"Even long after he retired, he'd still come by to talk to the coaches and he would give advice — but only when asked," said Radford principal Robert Stevens. "He was always part of a great Radford tradition, not only as a coach but also as a teacher and athletic director. He was all about heart. It's a big loss for Radford, a big loss for the state."

There are no known official records for high school basketball here, but Alegre likely is Hawai'i's winningest coach. He won more than 600 games in 34 seasons, including four state championships, nine O'ahu Interscholastic Association titles and 11 OIA Western Division crowns.

And he immediately impressed one future Hawai'i Kai neighbor who visited here looking for a job as an assistant coach at the University of Hawai'i in 1978.

"The thing I remember most, I came out to interview for the job and I went to watch Radford (in the state tournament)," said Riley Wallace, who is now entering his 19th season as UH's men's basketball head coach. "I was so impressed with his coaching. It was just like what you see from the top programs on the Mainland. Since I've been here, he's at the top of the coaches I've seen locally. His teams always executed and played hard and with discipline."

But like most people Alegre met, Wallace was even more impressed once he got to know him as a person.

"He had that personality where everybody liked him," Wallace said last night. "From his players, to the other coaches, to the administration. He always had that smile on his face.

"And he was the same way at home. Everybody in the neighborhood liked him."

Alegre, the son of a Filipino immigrant, was raised in the plantation town of Honoka'a and became a decorated all-around athlete despite his diminutive size. He went on to become a 20-foot long-jumper at Colorado State Teachers College (now Northern Colorado).

After graduation, Alegre returned to Hawai'i and taught at Jarrett Intermediate before moving on to Radford in 1961.

He quickly established the Rams as a basketball power, deftly meshing players from local and military backgrounds. But more than the championships, Alegre is remembered by former players as "a man of integrity," who helped build character and taught life lessons.

"He was a tremendous coach and a real solid man," said Brian Norwood, who played for Alegre in the early 1980s and now coaches the defensive backs for Penn State's No. 12-ranked football team. "For me, moving to Hawai'i from Maryland, he just really had a big impact on me as an athlete and as a person. His values and work ethic were deep-rooted and it was bigger than just winning games. I can still see his big smile. He's one of those guys in my life I really appreciate."

Ken Niumatalolo, a former teammate of Norwood's who is now assistant head coach at Navy, said he also appreciated Alegre as the years went by.

"More than being a great coach, he was a great man who stood for what was right," Niumatalolo said. "It didn't matter if you came from Aliamanu or Hickam, he treated everybody fairly but firmly and everybody respected him. He instilled a lot of things in me and had a big impact on my life."

Besides his wife, Alegre is survived by his daughter, Alissa. Services are tentatively set for Oct. 25 at Central Union Church.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.