Fellow athletes, politicians and baseball fans are reacting with shock and sadness to the death of pitcher Roy Halladay, who was killed in a plane crash at the age of 40.

Chris Nocco, the Sherriff of Pasco County, Fla., remembered his friend as “probably one of the most humble human beings you'll ever meet.”

"For somebody who won two Cy Youngs, as I said one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, he would walk in the room as if he was just anybody,” Nocco told reporters Tuesday. “It didn't matter who he met. He was kind and generous.”

“Here’s the true being of Roy,” Nocco added. “You wouldn’t know what Roy did because Roy would never tell you what he did and that is the legacy of a great man.”

Duane Ward, who pitched for the Blue Jays in the years before Halladay was drafted, says that he saw his old friend recently and he hadn’t changed much.

Ward told CTV News Channel that Halladay was a perfectionist. “He wanted to be good as he could be on that given day,” he said.

“His relentless hard work constantly pushed him forward to be better and better and better,” Ward added. “And it wasn’t about him. Everybody says it. Roy was always about team, team, team. How can I help this team win ballgames?”

Off the field, Halladay was soft-spoken, approachable and always ready to talk about how to improve the game, according to Ward. “The game of baseball is a little worse off without Ray being here,” he added.

At a press conference Tuesday, former Philadelphia Phillies president David Montgomery also remarked on Halladay’s work effort, commitment to his teammates and soft-spoken nature.

“He didn’t lead with his voice,” Montgomery said. “He led with his example. I think that’s also what made him such a good teammate.”

Montgomery characterized the late athlete as an “all-star pitcher, all-star person, all-star father and family man.”

Matheu Nelson, who shared a video of himself flying with Halladay on Saturday, issued a statement calling him an “unbelievable man.”

“Roy is a man you can count on to be there and he'll be dearly missed,” the young baseball player wrote.

“I loved the man the more I got to know him,” Nelson went on. “Roy wasn't just a role model to many kids but he was a father figure to others that he impacted too. He will be dearly missed.”

Former teammates and other athletes took to Twitter to note that Halladay was a worthwhile competitor and an inspiration.

Baseball writers told stories of their personal interactions. One recalled Halladay’s retirement message about trying to “leave baseball better than I found it.”

Politicians also went on Twitter to express their sadness at the loss.