WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — People in Warner Robins are mourning the loss of a veteran killed Tuesday night.
Roy Long, better known as "Philly," was hit by a car while walking on the side of Watson Boulevard.
The 53-year-old former marine could be spotted a mile away pushing his shopping cart and people would stop at the Walmart on Watson Boulevard to listen to him play his guitar.
Bobby Allen says the "peaceful giant" came to Warner Robins from Philadelphia, to help people struggling with addiction.
Allen says they met when he was struggling in his own life and Philly encouraged him to get help.
"He was so kind to me and helped me out when I wouldn't even try to help myself and convinced me that, you know, getting help was a good idea."
Allen jokes that Philly looks so serious in all of his pictures, but says you'd have a hard time finding someone as kind or who smiles as much as Philly.
"You couldn't know Philly without him have ever heard him telling you he loves you. Even if he only just met you, he would still tell you he loves you because he cared about everybody that he met," he says.
He says when Philly would play his guitar, people would give him money.
Instead of using that money for himself, he would use most of it to feed others in the homeless community or help buy them clothes, even though they were all in the same situation.
Chris Guilmette was working as a tow truck driver in the city when he met Philly. He would always stop at the Circle K to catch up and grab him a Polar Pop drink.
"You come across him, he was gonna make you smile. I don't know how he did it, but he would always make people smile."
He says when he heard what happened Tuesday night, he was devastated.
"I started scrolling through and I started seeing people sharing that it was Philly that passed away and, I mean, it hurt big time."
Allen says it was hard news to take.
"When we all heard what happened, it's just like our hearts dropped into our shoes," he says.
Krystal Harrison says this is a huge loss to the community.
"I just thank him for all the smiles he gave me every time I saw him," she says. "It's just... it's really sad that there's one less smiling face in Warner Robins now."
All three say the bottom line is Philly was a light in Warner Robins and he will be missed.
"You're in a better place, you're up there dancing on the streets of gold, brother, and I will see you soon," says Guilmette.
"I just want to thank him for always making me feel better, you know, on bad days that I would have, he would just... somehow, I would always see him and he'd be like, 'Let me see that smile,'" says Harrison.
"Thank you for the love that you showed us and and the strength that you gave us when we didn't have any to keep pushing on," says Allen.
Philly's brother started a GoFund Me page for his brother and there will be a candlelight vigil for Philly Sunday night at 8 p.m. at the Krispy Kreme on Watson Boulevard.