Shirley “Slip” Corey coached Little League baseball in Brewer with his nephew, Bob DeBeck, from 1955 to 1987.

Corey’s fun-first coaching philosophy and the way he positively influenced the lives of his players led to his induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame two years ago.

Corey died Thursday at the age of 84 after a long illness.

“He was the epitome of a role model,” said Ron Bailey, who played for Corey and DeBeck from 1957-60. “He was a real mentor to me. He was one of the best coaches I ever had. He was the most positive, uplifting coach you could ever want.”

“He bloomed my career. He sent me in the right direction. He gave me all kinds of confidence and that carried over into other aspects of my life, not just baseball,” added Bailey.

“He was a legacy in Brewer. He was the coach everyone wanted to play for,” said Joe Ferris, who played on the all-star team for him.

Jerry Goss played for Corey and DeBeck for five years (1956-60).

“I learned a lot of baseball from them,” he said, “but I also learned a lot about how to treat other people. They taught you how to respect the game, how to respect the uniform, how to treat one another, and how to treat the opponent.”

“They set the standard I wish everyone in Little League would follow,” added Goss. “They were even-keeled all the time. They treated everyone the same.”

Bailey added, “He was always a gentleman. I never heard him say an ugly word about anybody. He never had anything negative to say. He always focused on the positive.”

DeBeck called his uncle “one of a kind in as much as he really affected everyone around him.”

“We used to have practices on Sundays, but they weren’t mandatory. Yet everybody would be there. Parents would bring their kids in from lakes and stuff,” said DeBeck.

“We were there because we wanted to be there,” said Bailey.

“He taught the players to have fun and to be respectful,” said DeBeck. “Everyone had an equal opportunity.”

The Pendleton Street Athletic Complex in Brewer is named after Corey, his brother George, DeBeck, and Lou Morelli.

George Corey and Morelli were also longtime Brewer Little League coaches.

“Slip just had a way about him. He should have been a coach [at a higher level],” said DeBeck. “He would have been a darned good one.”

“They taught you the fundamentals right away so, as you grew, you would do things the right way,” said Bailey.

Prior to launching his coaching career, Corey compiled an exceptional athletic career.

“He captained the only Brewer High School football team that beat Bangor twice in the same year, 1938,” said DeBeck. “He also captained the basketball and baseball teams and was the president of his class for three years.”

“He was an outstanding person,” DeBeck added.

Bailey said Corey followed the careers of his ex-players.

“He was always interested in what you were doing. You had a lifetime relationship with him,” said Bailey. “I had a really big soft spot for him.”