Ron Mason took center ice one final time at Munn Arena as friends, family, players and fans said goodbye.
"He was the rock that held everyone together when times were tough and he was the person we usually first went to when times were great," said Mason's grandson, Tyler Walsh.
When Tyler and his brother, Travis, lost their father, their Grandfather stepped in to take care of them.
"Whether it was a game, practice, fishing every chance he could, mentoring, teaching and inspiring, Papa did everything the way it should be done, he did it his way," Tyler continued.
It's a way that many won't forget.
"Ron surely had a gift of making you feel so welcome and so at ease," said friend, Brian Gilmour.
"He was instinctively smart, resourceful, organized, articulate, personable, good humored, fiercely competitive," Dave Carrier, MSU Associate Head Athletic Trainer, added.
"We all tried to emulate Ron, he was our beacon," said friend and retired NHL Coach, Tom Sator.
Hundreds came out to celebrate Coach Mason's 76 years, about 30 of those were spent at Michigan State University.
"There was a guy across the street that I really appreciated and strived to be," Coach Tom Izzo said. "That was a consistent winner. Someone that could do it year after year after year."
The 2nd winningest coach in college hockey had a love for MSU that Izzo said kept him at the University.
"When I had opportunities to leave, he always called and told me why he thought this was the right place," Izzo explained. "I watched. I learned. I saw a role model."
And, it's Mason's guidance that Izzo says has shaped his successful career.
"'Cause he taught me how to do it, as he says "the right way," Izzo explained. "He is Mr. MSU, we're all gonna miss him deeply."
Mason's internment will be Saturday in Ontario, Canada, where he was born.
