Elston Wyatt, one of Hawai'i's top tennis players of the 1960s and '70s, died of natural causes Sunday. He was 88.

"He loved Hawai'i," said Wyatt's wife Trudy. "And he was very much devoted to his family. He was so sweet and kind and loving and smart and totally brilliant."

Wyatt was the boys tennis coach at Punahou School, where he was also a math teacher. He led the Buffanblu to seven state and 11 Interscholastic League of Honolulu titles from 1967 to 1975 and 1977 to 1979.

It is where he met Trudy, who taught English at the school.

"Before I had seen him play tennis, someone told me one of the greatest things in life was to see him hit a tennis ball," Trudy said.

Their first date was, fittingly, surfing at Ala Moana's "Tennis Courts."

Wyatt was born June 14, 1920 in Iowa, and taught himself tennis growing up in California. He attended the Naval Academy in 1940 after receiving a presidential appointment by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He graduated in 1944, after a career there as a captain of the team.

"We have a house full of trophies," Trudy said.

Wyatt retired from the Navy as a lieutenant commander, receiving the Purple Heart in World War II.

Trudy recalled the story of how Wyatt was hired at Punahou.

"He was here on vacation and played in the Dillingham Tennis Tournament at Punahou and won," she said. "The president of the school came up to him and said, 'I can always hire a math teacher, but I can't always hire a tennis coach who can beat Iolani School.' "

Wyatt won several Hawaiian Open and Dillingham Tournament championships in singles and doubles. Former partners, opponents and friends included Jim Bartlett, Rick Fried, Clay Benham, Jim Schwitters, Don Andrews, Doug Russell, Doris Hakman, Harold Kwan and Art Staats.

Besides Trudy, Wyatt is survived by son, Elston Jr., also known as Sandy, and daughter, Dr. Paula Wyatt, and five grandchildren: Jennifer Allyn Wyatt, Elston Allen Wyatt, James Marshall Wyatt, Maile Elizabeth Blume and Alana Wyatt Blume.

Private services will be held.