Billboard.biz has issued the following report from Ryan J. Downey:

Pat Egan of Relapse Records, a longtime veteran of the heavy metal music business, passed over the weekend. The director of retail sales and marketing for the metal indie had been hospitalized due to complications from pneumonia.

In social media posts and in statements to Billboard, members of the metal community fondly remembered Egan's humor and his passion for the bands on Relapse, which over the years has included acts like BARONESS, MASTODON, HIGH ON FIRE and TOMBS.

"He was a very positive dude and a heavy metal lifer," former Relapse/current Action PR! publicist Carl Schultz told Billboard.biz. "The man was so metal that he'd commute from his home in New York to Relapse's home base in Philadelphia to be a part of it all."

Season of Mist's Gordon Conrad, who worked at Relapse for 15 years, shared similar sentiments. "Pat Egan was a gentle giant; a jovial, kind-hearted guy who could provoke with a wink and a nod and was always ready with a kind word or help for a friend," he told Billboard. "Those of us who knew him can truly say we are better for it. The independent music world has lost a true fan and stalwart of our community."

Egan was an industry veteran who worked at Energy Records and Pavement Records, among others. He got his start as a clerk at Looney Tunes in Long Island, where he eventually became the store's manager and worked in sales at Koch Records from 1999 to 2002, before joining Relapse.

He is survived by his wife, Melinda and daughter, Katie.

Services will be held Friday, February 22nd at New York's Lindenhurst Funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations toward his daughter’s college fund, care of:

Melinda Egan

577 Outlook Ave.

West Babylon, New York 11704

Read more at Billboard.biz.