In his Netflix special, titled Annihilation, comedian Patton Oswalt talked about what his late wife used to say to him when debating about the meaning of life. Her simple statement was “It’s chaos, so be kind.”

For baseball fans, Philadelphians, and Toronto natives, that argument was reinforced in the cruelest way possible this week with the death of former pitching great Roy Halladay.

An iconic shot of Halladay before completing his famous No-Hitter in the 2010 NLDS.

Halladay died while piloting his plane near the Gulf of Mexico, and while details about the incident are still being investigated, it’s nevertheless a shocking tragedy for someone who didn’t deserve it.

Halladay wasn’t sick and put out of his misery, he didn’t have a problem with addiction or crime which could have killed him, and he wasn’t hanging out with the wrong people. All he was doing was something he loved and was good at in his post-baseball career. From what we know, he has a pilots license and had a passion for flying.

He was not only a great ballplayer but also a good man, a family man, charitable, and a great teammate. Teammates of his have come out with wonderful stories about both his intense work ethic and sportsmanship. Stories from the likes of Chase Utley, characterized as the grittiest Phillie of them all, was stunned when first meeting Halladay in 2010 seeing that by 6 AM he was already drenched in sweat from his morning work out. His catcher, Carlos Ruiz, getting a mini Cy Young award the year Halladay was the winner. He gave each of his teammates a custom-made watch after throwing a perfect game in 2010 as a token of appreciation. Being a coach on his son's little league team and advocating class and sportsmanship.

A custom-made watch for each of Halladay's Phillies teammates after 2010 Perfect Game.

As a long-time Phillies fan I, among many, was left in awe by Halladay’s dominance and greatness in the short time he played in Philly. He arrived after playing twelve seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and joined a team that had played in the previous two World Series. Even though he was with great pitchers like 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and 2009 World Series hero Cliff Lee, Halladay was still the undisputed ace of the club.

The only lament Philadelphians have about his time here was that the team wasn’t able to make it to the World Series with him. And their shortcomings in the playoffs wasn’t his fault, case-in-point in the brutal Game 5 loss in the first round of the 2011 postseason against the Cardinals, where Halladay pitched a complete game and allowed only one run, but the Phillies failed him by getting completely shut-out.

Even though they didn’t win a title with him, Phillies fans still came together and reminisced about the great memories he provided in his short time here. Memories like when he threw the 2nd Perfect Game in Phillies history in Miami on a night when the Flyers played Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. When he recorded his 20th win of the 2010 season and was the unanimous choice for the NL Cy Young award in arguably the finest season for a Phillies pitcher since Steve Carlton’s 1972 season.

Ryan Howard (left) Halladay (center) and Carlos Ruiz (Right) Celebrate the 2nd Phillies Perfect Game Ever

And, of course, who could forget the day which he made his first career playoff start versus the Cincinnati Reds and threw a No-Hitter? Besides when they won the World Series in 2008, my favorite Phillies memory was the Playoff No-Hitter. Going into that game I remember seeing how dominant Halladay was at the time and got the feeling that he could throw a Perfect Game or No-Hitter as he done already that season. And as the game progressed it felt as if everything I had imagined happening in my head had come true.

Every time I watch that final out of that game I’m on the edge of my seat because the final batter grounded the ball just five feet from the catcher Carlos Ruiz, (Better known as Chooch here in Philly) he dropped his bat right next to the rolling ball and charged at first base (who would want to get no-hit in the playoffs after-all?), Chooch gets on his knees and grabs the ball which was awkwardly close to the bat, he fires it to first baseman Ryan Howard who snatches the ball high and right before the runner gets to the base. And just like that, Roy Halladay had joined Don Larsen (who threw a Perfect Game for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the then-Brooklyn Dodgers) as the second pitcher ever with a playoff No-Hitter. It wasn’t a championship, but it was pretty close.

The Last Out of Doc's Legendary Playoff No-Hitter

Only Don Larsen in 1956 had a Postseason No-Hitter

After two spectacular seasons, injuries and age had finally caught up to Halladay in the final two years of his career. While I was sad that he retired and without having gotten a ring, it was the best thing for his legacy because he left Phillies fans with so many great memories. While other great players from that Golden Era of Phillies baseball stuck around for too long and fans saw them decline, Halladay kept his aura of greatness. He tenure in Philadelphia was short but legendary. Even before he died, whenever I saw a Phillies player wear the number 34, I always thought “That’s Roy Halladay’s Number.” But as soon I saw the face of the player wearing it and the name on the back of it, a little sense of disappointment came when realizing it wasn’t him. While I understand if they choose not to do it, I am in favor of the Phillies choosing to retire the number 34 from being reissued again.

And that is why Halladay’s sudden and unexpected death is one of the most devastating deaths of an athlete in history and the most devastating athlete death for me.

Older Philadelphians remember the shock and sadness they felt when Eagles defensive tackle Jerome Brown died in 1992 and Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh died in 1985.

Older baseball fans remember the deaths of players like Thurman Munson, Roberto Clemente, and former Phillie Corey Lidle died, all eerily in plane crashes as well.

And every sports fan remembers where they were last year when finding out that Miami Marlins pitcher and rising star Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident. Fernandez was a rising star and Halladay was a recently retired star and both had long lives ahead of them, both equally tragic.

While Roy Halladay will probably go into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a Toronto Blue Jays ballcap on his plaque, and he only pitched in Philadelphia for four seasons, he has and will remain immortal here, and that’s saying something considering this city's high standards for greatness.

Rest in Power Doc