Celebration of life for former Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay to be held Tuesday
NEW YORK — A celebration of life for former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay will be held next week in Florida at the spring-training home of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Halladay was killed Tuesday when the tiny sport plane he was flying crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. The service, which will be open to the public, will be held Tuesday afternoon at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, the Halladay family said in a statement released by the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball.
“Our family is heartbroken in confirming that Roy passed away in a plane crash Tuesday afternoon,” the statement said. “While many will remember him for his success as a major league pitcher, we remember him as an amazing father, loving husband and loyal friend. Roy had many accomplishments in his professional career, the memories of which we will cherish forever. He described each achievement as a team effort rather than an individual accomplishment, a true testament to his character and love for his teammates.”
Halladay, who was 40, was a devoted husband to wife Brandy and a loving father to sons Ryan and Braden.