The sudden loss of a beloved father and husband is tragic to his family, and in the case of Troy Schafer, 40, that loss has been felt by literally hundreds of families throughout Rocklin.

A Sacramento Regional Transit District employee, Schafer was struck and killed by a light rail train while working on the tracks last Thursday afternoon.

Schafer moved to Rocklin with his wife, and two sons (now 10 and 11), six years ago, said his wife, Donna Schafer.

“His passion is hunting, he was a very avid duck hunter,” she said.

“We moved here from Sacramento for the community and the schools and to raise our family,” Schafer said, adding that she met her husband in Sacramento 21 years ago.

Schafer was a coach in the Rocklin Tri-City Little League for several years, teaching kids not only about baseball, but also about life.

In an email sent to the ‘Tri-City families,’ league president Brian James said Troy was always coaching, not just his boys but many of our children in the league.

“He was about helping kids to improve, not just as ball players, but as people. I was fortunate enough to coach with Troy and my son was lucky enough to have him as a coach,” James wrote. “I learned a great deal from him and I know my son Tyler is a better ball player and more importantly a better person because of Troy. He will be missed both for his contribution to the kids of this community and his friendship to many of us.”

Allison McGrath, a family friend who met Schafer and his wife through the Little League, said that although the family is having a hard time, they have a lot of family and friends around.

“They were a family that did everything together,” McGrath said. “I just think the community lost a great person and a great volunteer. It’s going to felt for a long, long time.”

Another friend, Andrea Kauppila, also remembers Schafer as a man who taught life skills through baseball.

“He coached my son for two years,” she said. “”He taught him how to pitch, how to play as a part of a team, integrity - skills that beyond sports and that apply to life.”

Sacramento RT Spokesperson Alane Masui said, “This is a tragic accident and has affected everyone throughout the agency. Our hearts go out to the family.”

Described by friends as “larger than life,” Schafer’s life will be celebrated in a service today at 10 a.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Church on Granite Drive in Rocklin.

Friends of the Schafer family have established an account at S.A.F.E. Credit Union.