Hillsborough County is mourning the loss of a man who made his mark on generations of children.
Ed Radice, the man who spent years leading the county's parks and recreation department, passed away this week.
“I loved going with him to visit the parks," said Ed Radice’s daughter Holly Muse. "I would go with him at night. He was always working."
Radice’s work is still evident throughout Hillsborough County. He hired hundreds of employees who respected him for his work within the department.
"Hopefully I did him proud working for the county as long as I have," said Rawl Duran, Jr. who works for Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation. "He shaped my career as a park ranger and now I'm a park manager. So I owe it all to him."
According to his obituary, Radice grew the number of parks in Hillsborough County from 75 to over 200 during his 28 years as director of Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation.
“It's amazing and a little bit expected to me," said John Radice. "I didn't know on what scale but it was going to be a little more than average. I'm getting calls from people all over the place."
Back in 2001, the Hillsborough County Commission named a soccer and baseball complex in Radice’s honor.
Radice was a man who loved children, his community and doing what he could to make Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation the best it could be.
“He was about giving what everyone needed," said Muse. "He never really needed anything for himself."