Bill Hines couldn't keep a good thing to himself. The easygoing extrovert got such a kick out of golf — found it so relaxing and yet so challenging — that he wanted to recruit every player he could to the game.

Sometimes he worked through organizations such as the Georgia State Golf Association, where he served on the membership committee and spread the gospel everywhere he went.

Family (ENLARGE)

Bill Hines (second from left) was a charismatic man who felt life was much too short to be miserable about anything or anyone.

Other times, he'd just grab the nearest friend.

When he took budding golfer Michael Warren under his wing, he passed on plenty of practical advice about the game. More important, he showed there's more to it than the final score.

"That whole process opened my eyes to the power of mentorship," said Mr. Warren of Nashville. "There's something special about a man teaching something to a young man, who then teaches it to the generation that comes after that. I never thought of golf as something as potent as it is, but it really is a great tradition to be able to pass on.

"A lot of times you see Tiger Woods on TV, but that seems a million miles away," Mr. Warren said. "But when you see somebody within arm's reach who's skilled at the game and can teach you, it makes other things seem possible. He understood the power of that exposure with African-American children, so you learn that no matter what background you come from, golf is just golf. There's no one particular group that's more astute. You learn the game, learn the rules and go out and play."

The funeral for Willie "Bill" Alfred Hines is 11 a.m. Wednesday at Herschel Thornton Mortuary. Mr. Hines, 75, of College Park, died of congestive heart failure July 9 at South Fulton Medical Center.

Born in Hattiesburg, Miss., Mr. Hines served as a physician's assistant in the United States Air Force's medical corps until 1971. He and his late wife, Maggie Jones Hines, moved to Atlanta in 1975, and he retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1990.

His home contained autographed photos of John Glenn and other Project Mercury astronauts, souvenirs from his time in the Air Force.

Mostly, though, it was packed with golf equipment, golf books and all the hats he collected from the courses he'd played.

Whether he was teaching a junior player or playing a senior round, he simply hoped to share something he loved, said his daughter, Andrea Hines, of Atlanta.

"My father was truly happy and truly did enjoy his life," she said. "And he had such a sense of humor that even in a bad situation, you'd be cracking up by the time he finished talking."

"His generation had a lot of hardships, but he came through that unscathed, without any malice or chip on his shoulder," Mr. Warren said. "We talked a lot about golf, but when you spent hours out there in that peaceful setting, you talk about life as well."

One topic Mr. Hines loved to talk about was politics. He put up with good-natured ribbing when he announced he supported Hillary Clinton for president. When he wasn't looking, friends would stick Barack Obama campaign signs in his yard just to make him laugh.

"He was a very charismatic person, one of those people you never forgot once you met him," Mr. Warren said. "If he stopped at a gas station and went in for a pack of gum, he'd know the attendant's name before he left.

"He always said that life is too short to be miserable — about anybody or anything."

Survivors other than his daughter include two sisters, Mamie Thomas of Hattiesburg, and Celeste McGhee of Los Angeles, Calif.; and a brother, Charles Hines, of Los Angeles.