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Wayne Estopinal's lasting hometown legacy after tragic plane crash

On this side of the bridge, Wayne Estopinal is known for starting Louisville City F-C, but we're learning that his legacy is so much more than that.

You don't have to drive far in Jeffersonville, Indiana to see the legacy left behind by architect, Wayne Estopinal.

"City Hall, the renovation of that which took place back about 15 years ago," Mayor Mike Moore said, who smiled at the thought of those 3 A.M. text messages he would receive from Estopinal about projects.

Estopinal was the president of TEG Architects, where his designs came to life at locations like Big Four Station Park, or the Jeffersonville Police Department.

"Everything that he put in play, everything that his hands touched was art," said former neighbor and friend of 28 years, Robbie Valentine said. "Wayne was a Jeffersonville resident, and all he wanted to do was make everybody happy. He single-handedly wanted to be a part of the growth, success and building process of Downtown Jeffersonville."

Valentine spoke to WHAS11 News about the moment he learned a horrific plane crash had ended Wayne's life on Friday.

"I lost it," he said when talking about the calls he made to Estopinal's phone as he heard about the wreck. That phone going straight to voicemail.

TEG Vice president Sandra Johnson of Shreveport and the pilot, 32-year-old Andrew Davis of Sellersburg were also aboard the plane headed to Chicago.

The ongoing investigation has not revealed what caused the wreck, but Mayor Moore could tell WHAS11 News this:

"I took a little comfort in hearing that the impact was so great, the speed was so great, that the death was instant."

Estopinal was the founder of Louisville's professional soccer team, Louisville City FC, but years before that, Valentine said he even had a professional soccer field set-up in his own backyard.

"Wayne was more into sports than I've ever seen in my life over the last three or four years. Of course the soccer team, Mockingbird Valley, Lynn Stadium, and of course, he built medical centers all around the country," Valentine said.

He was also a father, a philanthropist, a businessman, and a boss who cared, according to Mayor Moore.

"Wayne really fought for all of his employees. I think that's the foundation of a strong family man, a man committed to his city, and a man that's committed to making things perfect."

"He's a small-town boy, grew up on Riverside Drive in Jeffersonville, not wanting to leave his roots and his legacy, and his legacy is his hands," Valentine explained. "He was just a hardworking small-town boy that made it, that's the bottom line, he made it."

There is a celebration of Wayne Estopinal's life on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Scott Funeral Home.

►Contact reporter Heather Fountaine at hfountaine@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Heather) and Facebook.

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