R.I.P. to "The General"

(Honolulu Star Bulletin photo)

Monday we lost Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Kalas, who started his career in Hawai'i with the Hawai'i Islanders in the early 1960s before moving on to the big time on "The Mainland".

One day later, one of his peers, Les Keiter, died at age 89 at his home in Kailua.

Les had started in Hawai'i sports broadcasting in the late 1940s, moved to the Big City in 1954, and for the next few years did play by play for the New York football and baseball Giants, New York Knicks and New York Islanders. Later he called the classic Clay-Liston fight, as well as George Foreman's Gold Medal bout in the 1968 Olympics.

And then he returned to Hawai'i, where he succeeded Harry Kalas' replacement (Al Michaels) as the voice of the Islanders. He remained with the team until 1979. He was also Sports Director for KHON TV until his retirement in 1994.