He was known to almost everyone simply as "Mr. Snider."
It was a sign of endearment. And respect. And, likely in some, a little bit of intimidation.
Larger than life. That pretty well describes the status of Ed Snider in Philadelphia.
The word "icon" gets overused in today's hyperbole-fueled media atmosphere.
That is not the case when it comes to the Flyers founder and chairman, who passed away Monday at age 83 after a two-year battle against bladder cancer.
You can make the argument that Snider was the most influential figure in Philadelphia sports history.
We used our editorial page to join the many salutes offered to the Flyers longtime boss.
But Snider's impact and influence extend far beyond a hockey team.
Yes, he almost single-handedly brought the National Hockey League to Philadelphia.
He built the Spectrum, the what was then known as the Wachovia Center.
He had the vision of building a cable TV network to leverage his hockey team. Anyone else remember PRISM?
And, believe it or not, he was the guy who first saw a business platform in talking about sports 24 hours a day.
He knew - and shared - the city's passion for sports. It was that passion that laid the groundwork for WIP, the beast of sports talk that sets the daily agenda for what Philly's notorious fans are talking about.
Snider often joked - at least I think he was joking - about what he had created in WIP, and what it had morphed into.
Many a sports scribe can describe getting a personal call from Snider when he did not like what he was reading in the paper.
Perhaps Snider's most lasting legacy might be his Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, which brought ice rinks and hockey into inner-city neighborhoods and kids who otherwise would not have the opportunity to get involved in the sport.
His death leaves a huge gap on the Philly sports landscape, and one that will not easily be filled.
You can read our editorial here.
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