Junior golf lost a founder and Hawaii golf a Hall of Famer when Robert WJ “Bob” Tom died Jan. 2, at the age of 88.

Inspired by Ted Makalena’s victory at the 1966 Hawaiian Open, Tom and Makalena started the Hawaii Junior Golf Association the following year with fewer than 100 kids. By 1985, there were 500 playing the Monday tournaments over the summer — and spectacular results.

Charles and Randy Barenaba, Althea Tome, Lori Castillo and Donald Hurter won U.S. Golf Association national championships and David Ishii, Lance Suzuki and Stan Souza played major roles on major college teams. Junior World titles started coming home from San Diego each year, after the Hawaii contingent of 30 or 40 took its post-tournament sojourn to Disneyland.

Tom was founder, organizer and president and the HJGA’s office was his office on Kamani Street, where he ran his carpet and drapery shop and a small golf equipment business. He was the first to bring graphite clubs to Hawaii.

His daughter Jacalyn was the 1970 HJGA Girls Player of the Year. Son Wendell went to six Jr. Worlds and won the 1982 Ted Makalena Hawaii State Open, the HJGA’s primary fundraiser named after its beloved co-founder, who died in a diving accident in 1968.

Bob Tom, crippled by dementia in his later years, always had a passion for golf. A weekly game at Ala Wai helped him become a single-digit handicapper, but once he got involved with the juniors, his passion became promoting golf and he basically gave up playing.

“I’ve got to believe junior golf was his greatest accomplishment,” says Wendell, Hawaii’s new Under Armour Golf representative. “He was always proud of that. He started it and got kids involved. We’ve had great champions in Hawaii, but more than that he wanted to give everyone an opportunity to play and compete. You didn’t have to be the best. We were able to play every week on a different golf course and meet new people.

“He ran it for 22 years and he was very proud of some of Hawaii’s champions. We were very close to the Barenabas and Lance and David and Kalua Makalena, Brenda Rego and Althea and Lori and all the Castillos. There were a lot of good memories. He put Hawaii on the map for junior golf. We were a big deal, a force, when we went to San Diego.”

Wendell characterizes his father as a “very generous person who had a vision,” and a sports nut. Bob saw New York Yankees and Giants baseball games when he was on the mainland serving in the Army, and went to the first two Super Bowls. His University of Hawaii football seats were next to Gov. John Burns, one of the many dignitaries Tom came to know.

Outside of junior golf, sports and his successful business, Wendell said his father was simply “very proud of his grandkids and his family.” He leaves behind brother Stanley and his wife, Betty, children Wendell and Jacalyn (Tom) Oda, along with four grandchildren — Jessica and Aaron Tom and Chris and Ryan Oda. Tom’s wife, Hannah, died in 2014.

Bob Tom’s service is Feb. 14 at noon at ‘Iolani School Chapel, with visitation from 11 a.m.