GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – A beloved Eastern Carolina baseball coach is being remembered after suddenly passing away over the weekend.

Coach Raymond Styons Jr., known around the community as “Raymie,” passed away on Sunday.

“It’s tougher today, I think, than it was yesterday because yesterday it hit. You really just couldn’t believe it after sleeping on it. Now life’s going on without him. I think so for many people and kids in this community,” said one of Ramyies’ friends, Brain Weingartz.”

Styons was out on the field with his team just the day before, coaching the all-star 10- to 12-year-old team in the Little League Baseball Southeast Region tournament.

“Just a really influential community member, great for the kids, great for the leagues, great for the community,” said another one of his friends, Clay Medlin.

Many knew and admired Styons not only as a coach but as a person.

“I think he was the best coach ever in Greenville Little League. So many kids are going to have a hard time getting through this, but if they keep in mind the things he taught them and what they learned by playing with him, I think they’ll all be alright,” said Johnny Jackson, who coached another little league team.

Other coaches took time to look back on the memories they shared under the lights of the baseball fields.

“Whenever we got ready to play Raymond’s team, I always thought we were going to lose, and I’ve never had that feeling before or since. And again, I hate admitting it, but the guy was just a winner,” said Jackson.

Styons had a love for not only baseball, but basketball and football too. He was an official for ACC basketball.

“A lot of people don’t remember this, but when his son was coming up, he coached him in the Winterville tackle football league, and I was an official in that league when he coached. With Ramie, everybody knew he knew a lot about basketball; we all knew he knew a lot about baseball, but he was a really good football coach, too,” said Weingartz.