Arthur H. McCoy, a pioneer in the television business in Hawai'i in the 1960s who became active in the civic life on Maui in his retirement, died Feb. 10 while undergoing emergency heart surgery at The Queen's Medical Center. He was 88.

McCoy was born in Roseville, Ohio, raised in Pueblo, Colo., and graduated from Northwestern University. He sold broadcast advertising in Chicago and New York, rising to president of John Blair & Co., the largest company in that industry.

In the 1960s, he left Blair to become co-owner of KHON-TV, then the fledgling NBC affiliate in Honolulu. That investment grew into Pacific & Southern Broadcasting Co., a publicly held company of which he was president. When that was sold, he kept KHON and used that as the keystone to build another broadcasting company, McCoy Broadcasting Co. That company was sold in 1979.

McCoy was a resident of Wailea, Maui, and also had homes in Newberg and Bend, Ore. He was one of the founding supporters of Hospice Maui, was a major benefactor of the Maui Arts and Cultural Center and Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, and was a leader in the drive to build a new hospital.

He was president of the McCoy Foundation, which supported the arts and children's causes in Hawai'i, Oregon and Iowa and at Northwestern University.

He was married for more than 60 years to Virginia Green McCoy, who died in 2002.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; a son, Craig, of Lake Oswego, Ore.; a daughter, Barbara, of Des Moines, Iowa; and four grandchildren.

A private memorial service will be held March 8 on Maui.

The family suggests that any memorial contributions be made to the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center, 2841 Baldwin Ave., Makawao, HI 96768.