Someone who listened, who knew when to be a friend and when to be an authority figure. Someone who was there when you needed a shoulder to lean on. That is how Ashley Speziale described hero Coach Aaron Feis.

The 22-year-old met Feis her freshman year, when her affable older sister was a senior. Speziale says the coach, who always donned sunglasses and rarely removed them even indoors, took Speziale under his wing.

“Even if I wanted so much as a place to sit, his office was always open,” Speziale told The Daily Beast. “He’d sit with me. He’d talk to me. He’d let me be in silence.

“He was friendly with everybody, but he also knew when not to be friendly and when he needed to be the authority figure.”

Aaron Feis was not only an assistant football coach, he was also one of the school’s security guards. He had worked with Speziale’s stepfather, Richard Wentz. Wentz, a former NYPD detective who survived the 9/11 attacks, and Feis made a great team.

“Richie and Feis, they loved each other,” Speziale said. “They were giving, they were warm. They knew how to balance everything. They knew how to give it, but also knew when to take a step back.

“They made the world a better place,” she added. “If you needed two people to just be better, that was them.”

Aaron learned a great deal from Wentz. And yesterday, when the CODE RED went out across the school, Aaron was there for his students and the staff.

Feis, in his capacity as a school security guard, responded to the original call on the school’s security radio walkie-talkies. Someone asked on the radio if the loud sounds heard were firecrackers, according to May, who also carries a radio.

“I heard Aaron say, ‘No, that is not firecrackers.’ That’s the last I heard of him,” May said.

By all accounts, not only was Aaron working to ensure everyone’s safety, at the moment when it became absolutely necessary, Aaron pushed students out of the way and stepped in the path of the gunman.

Sadly and tragically he did not survive.

It is with Great sadness that our Football Family has learned about the death of Aaron Feis. He was our Assistant Football Coach and security guard. He selflessly shielded students from the shooter when he was shot. He died a hero and he will forever be in our hearts and memories pic.twitter.com/O181FvuHl3

— MS Douglas Football (@MSDEagles) February 15, 2018

"He sprinted with everything he had towards it to make sure everybody was safe, and I heard that he got in front of a couple people and shielded them, and he actually took the bullets for them."

Football Coach Aaron Feis dies a hero at #Parkland. https://t.co/ujLDKjkw1M pic.twitter.com/gUZK23jNMn

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 15, 2018

By all accounts, Aaron Feis was loved and respected by the students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He was a tough coach, but the players loved him. He was loyal to the school, the students, and to his family.

Yesterday, in the face of terror, Aaron Feis transformed from Coach to Sheepdog in order to protect the students in his care.

Aaron’s courage saved lives. We are so very thankful for men such as he.

As we honor Aaron, we ask that you keep his family, and most especially his wife Melissa and their sweet daughter in your prayers.