Amid the emotional testimonies and tearful reminiscences at yesterday’s celebration of life for Healani Canoe Club paddling coach Alfred Streck, one bittersweet realization kept tickling the cheeks of Streck’s hundreds of friends, family members and admirers: Coach Al would have loved this.

About 300 people gathered at Magic Island yesterday to commemorate the life of the revered 54-year-old coach and community volunteer, who was critically injured in a traffic accident on Oct. 28 and died three days later.

According to police, Streck was traveling through the intersection at Isenberg and South King streets when the mo-ped on which he was riding was struck by a car traveling in the opposite direction. The driver of the car was initially arrested for negligent injury and released pending further investigation.

As coach of Healani’s women’s novice A and B teams, Streck was a prominent and popular figure in the local paddling scene. Hundreds of paddlers representing Healani and several other clubs attended yesterday’s ceremonies in a show of respect for a man universally regarded as a relentlessly positive influence on local paddling and the larger community.

"He was just a really good-hearted individual," said Dana Gorecki, a member of the Waikiki Beach Boys Canoe Club, of which Streck’s longtime girlfriend is a member. "Even though he wasn’t part of our club, he was always around to help."

Myra Nishimoto, whose daughter Jamie paddled for Streck for three years at St. Francis School, remembered the coach as someone who used positive reinforcement and encouragement rather than criticism to get the most out of his young charges.

"That’s why he was such a super coach," Nishimoto said. "He never said anything negative, never put them down, even if they lost."

Nishimoto said she also admired the way Streck encouraged his paddlers to volunteer their time in the community — often using his own connections to provide opportunities.

In addition to his work for Healani and St. Francis, Streck was well known as an event coordinator who specialized in helping community organizations like the March of Dimes and the YMCA.

At yesterday’s event New Hope Canoe Club coach Cy Kalama compared the compulsively busy Streck to a hummingbird that darted from one worthy project to another.

Late in the afternoon, the crowd moved over to the long rock pier on the Diamond Head end of the park as a 30-strong flotilla composed of small motorboats, single- and double-hulled canoes and paddleboards escorted a catamaran carrying Streck’s family a quarter-mile out to sea, where Streck’s ashes were scattered.

"It was really nice out there," said Streck’s cousin JoAnn Lum. "It was nice to see all of the canoes because I could also picture him out there. Afterward there was a light sprinkle, like a blessing."

Lynn Sambueno said the number of people who attended the celebration of life and stayed for the scattering of ashes was a direct reflection of her younger brother’s reach as a friend and mentor.

"He was so full of life and so generous," she said. "He would give you the shirt off his back. All of these people are here because of who he was and how he treated them."

Streck’s close friend Cesar Emanuello agreed.

"He was the kind of person who brought everybody together," Emanuello said as he surveyed the large picnic area where scores of mourners lingered long after the ceremony. "This is Al."