The Baltimore Orioles announced on Sunday the passing of one of the team’s minority owners, Wayne Gioioso, Sr.

Gioioso, who was 83, died on Thursday while walking with his son, Wayne Jr., to Towson Tavern for a Christmas party.

“Mr. Gioioso was a successful businessman, leader in his community, and passionate supporter of his hometown team. Our hearts go out to his family and friends at this time,” the Orioles said in a statement on social media.

Gioioso was part of the group of minority owners who worked with majority owner Peter Angelos to purchase the team in 1993. At the time, he was the owner of Gioioso Investments, a real-estate investment firm.

Per the Baltimore Sun, Gioioso helped set up the initial meeting between Angelos and former owner Larry Lucchino, a meeting that began the process to buy the team. He told the Sun at the time that his motivation for being part of the ownership group was “…to own the team and keep it local.”

As of his passing, the ownership group included Peter, John and Louis Angelos, William Beatson Jr., David Bernstein, the Estate of Tom Clancy, Jack Dunn IV, Wanda King, the Marion I and Henry J Knott Foundation, the Estate of John LaPorte Jr., Barry Levinson, Harvey Meyerhoff, James Riepe, George Stamas, Pam Shriver and Alfred Tyler Jr.

Visitation is set for Wednesday from noon-2 p.m. at Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home in Baltimore. A funeral mass is set for Thursday at 1 p.m. at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Md.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Judy; his children, Wayne Gioioso, Jr. (Holly), Pamela VillaSanta (Mario), Michelle Love (Jody), Tina Gioioso and Nicole Freeland (Steve); along with 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.