Les "The General" Keiter gained national prominence in broadcasting major heavyweight title fights — Cassius Clay, before he became Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston and especially that unforgettable Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson championship fight and rematch. He also did play-by-play for the New York Yankees, football Giants, Knicks and Islanders, and was the voice of Philadelphia's Big Five college basketball.

My first memory of him, though, was 60 years ago when he began his sports broadcasting career here, re-creating San Francisco Seals baseball games on KPOA. The Seals of the old Triple-A Pacific Coast League were "Hawai'i's Team" then because they were owned by Paul Fagan, who insisted on holding spring training on Maui.

Keiter could have really called me "kid" then. I was a young patient at Shriner's Hospital and I remember listening to Keiter on a little transistor radio, keeping score with a flashlight, and hiding under a blanket because 8 p.m. was lights out in the ward. Thanks to Keiter, we knew all the Seals by heart — Ferris Fain, Joe Brovia, Dino Restelli, Dario Lodigiani, Jackie Tobin, Gene Woodling and that beloved, but light-hitting shortstop, Roy Nicely, the epitome of the baseball expression, "good-field and no-hit."

As one who's familiar with Keiter's trademark phrases, such as, "Back, back, back, boom, off the wall," I still remember his description of Nicely's home run, one of only 21 he hit in 11 minor-league seasons:

"A high pop fly to left field," Keiter began. "The left fielder's going back . . . it's a HOME RUN?"

It was pure Keiter and it was pure fun, which is how he felt sports should be viewed. Years later, when I finally met "The Voice" that went with the name, we laughed about his description of Nicely's startling home run.

Perhaps, you think, I'm digressing because this space is reserved for golf.

But you know what? Keiter might have called all those monumental heavyweight championship fights, covered the Yankees and Giants, even our own Hawai'i Islanders, and broadcast a lot of other major sporting events in his legendary career. But do you know what sport he played when he wasn't behind a mike? Golf.

"My dad loved golf and was a member of the Mid-Pacific Country Club, playing with his usual Saturday gang," said son Marty Keiter, a golf professional at Kapalua for 20 years after stints at Mid-Pac, Kaluakoi and Kiahuna.

"The General" emceed the Aloha Section PGA's Hall of Fame induction ceremonies for 12 straight years before failing eyesight finally forced him to relinquish that role. "That was one of the sad things when he lost his vision — that he couldn't golf anymore. But he was a great supporter of golf."

Not only was Keiter proud that Marty became a golf professional, he was also delighted that his grandson, Chris, Marty's son, is also a golf pro at Nanea Golf Club on the Big Island.

Rick Keiter, the oldest of Les and Lila's five children, also remembers the time when his father was so proud of him that he was a caddie!

"I was probably 14 or 15 years old and was caddying for Charles Coody in a tournament at the Whitemarsh Valley Country Club back in the mid-'60s," he recalled. "They didn't have professional caddies in those days. I was assigned to Coody, who was young then. Out we go and he could tell in about 18 seconds that I wasn't going to give him any advice. But we made the cut."

At the turn, there were TV cameras there with his father doing the broadcast because the PGA Tour event was in Philadelphia. "He wanted everyone to know I was his son," Rick Keiter said.

The Philly audience did. The color guy with Les Keiter turned and said, "Les, there's Coody and there's Charles Coody's caddie." And the guy leans in and says, "Les, and you're Coody's caddie's daddy."

Coody went on to win the Masters in 1971 and Les liked to regale his listeners that he was "Coody's caddie's daddy." Years later when Keiter met up with Coody, before he could say a word, Coody said, "Coody's caddie's daddy, right?"

More than 61 years ago, Keiter proposed to Lila on a dirt road in Yelm, Wash., midway between Seattle and Portland. "I can't give you much," he told her. "But one thing I can promise you, it'll never be dull."

It certainly hasn't been, and Les Keiter stories could go on forever. You could write a book, and he did: "Fifty Years Behind the Microphone."

"Our whole life has been unbelievable," said Lila, as she watched her husband's ashes being scattered in the ocean fronting the Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach Tuesday. Especially when they had two sets of fraternal twins after Rick: Marty and Barbara, Cindy and Jodi. "Even the doctors were surprised," Lila said.

The family could have held services in New York, Philadelphia or San Francisco. But this where he wanted it, Lila said. "This is home."

And, oh, "The General" would probably have been amused by the irony of it all — getting his ashes scattered at sea after Lila was presented with a folded American flag by two sailors in a brief military ceremony. Yes, Keiter served in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Pearl Harbor right after World War II. Even then, he was behind a mike — on the air for Armed Forces Radio.

Nevertheless, here's looking at you, General.