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For as long as there have been the Ravens, there has been Captain Dee-Fense.

Larry “Wes” Henson embodied the Ravens’ on- and off-the-field character with his superfan persona, Captain Dee-Fense.

The team on Tuesday announced Henson’s death at age 74, saying his “pride and passion for Baltimore were one-of-a-kind.

“His iconic fandom and service for others inspired our community in immeasurable ways,” the team said in a statement. “A man who cared deeply about people and is enshrined as a Hall of Fame Fan, Captain Dee-Fense will forever be remembered for the remarkable joy, encouragement and love he regularly gave to everyone around him.”

In a 2016 article published on the team’s site, Henson wrote, “I’ve always had a heartfelt belief that defense wins championships.” The franchise has emphasized defense since it arrived in 1996, and the current team’s leaders have spoken about their desire to get back to those days.

Henson also believed that sports gave him a platform to do good in the community, something Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has made a priority, as well. In that same article, Henson wrote, “I believe that when my earthly work is done, someone will ask me, ‘What did you do for somebody else?’ My life will not be measured in Instagram, Twitter or Facebook followers, or by how many times I’m on the RavensVision boards. It will be on how many lives I impacted positively.”

While Henson will no longer walk the streets outside of M&T Bank Stadium on game days, his legacy lives on, enshrined in the ESPN’s “Hall of Fans” in 2012 and in the memories of generations of Ravens fans.

As word of Henson’s death spread online Tuesday, fan groups, individuals and local businesses took to social media to honor his life.

Numerous photos featured fans young and old, dressed in the colors of the Ravens or their rival Steelers, posing with Henson in his Captain Dee-Fense outfit. His homemade costume featured Aviators and a captain’s hat with a Ravens logo. He had purple camo cargo pants with a spiked belt and boots. His shirt featured patches for the different branches of the military, including the Navy, where he spent 24 years doing intelligence work. And of course, he carried the classic defense sign: a capital “D” and a picket fence.

The photos come from Ravens games and events. They also come from the numerous charity events he attended. He also attended weddings, funerals and birthday parties. He spoke at schools, visited hospital patients and went to fundraisers. Henson never made money off his appearances.

Mona Freedman, a local registered nurse and founder of the nonprofit Caring Communities, saw how much Henson was doing in the community without even “being offered a gas card.” So she decided to walk up to him one day and offer to be his manager.

After some back-and-forth, Henson agreed, and a decade-long partnership was born. Freedman built Captain Dee-Fense a website. She made him trading cards to hand out, and together, they wrote a children’s book, “Everyone Loves Captain Dee-Fense: Baltimore’s Super Ravens Fan!”

Over the years, Henson only missed one game when he was moving his daughter into college, according to a Ravens article. He could answer any question about the team, Freedman recalled. He collected players’ autographs — and then gave them out for free to kids.

But he didn’t just love the team. He loved everyone around it. In addition to the fans, he loved supporting the cheerleaders and mascots.

That’s become evident in the outpouring of support following his death, Freedman said.

“He was a very big, tall dude but a marshmallow, that type of person,” Freedman said. “So that’s why you can see the outpouring of love, because that was just his style of humanity. He really was a nice person.”

Henson had over 10,000 followers on his Captain Dee-Fense Facebook page, where he would post his thoughts on the team there, encouraging discussion but keeping it positive. Freedman said he always made sure to answer emails and comments.

Henson’s health began to deteriorate last year, Freedman said, and he missed his first season. She said Henson’s website was recently deactivated since he was getting lots of appearance requests while he was sick.

Already a cancer survivor, Henson stayed positive in every update he gave Freedman. It was the same positivity he brought to fandom, one that Freedman hopes other fans can learn from.

“He would never fight, argue, debate,” Freedman said. “You have your opinion. I have mine ... even if you were from another team, he didn’t care. If you were a Steelers fan, he would love you just as much.”

This story has been updated.