William Moody, who as the pro wrestling character Paul Bearer embodied a sense of theater that was equal parts morbid and absurd, has died at age 58. A portly man known for his wild-eyed stare and habit of carrying a brass urn under his arm, Paul Bearer was most notably the manager of The Undertaker and Kane.

Moody's death was announced Tuesday by World Wrestling Entertainment. No details of the cause of death were included, but a post at The Baltimore Sun reveals that Moody had canceled several upcoming events.

As news of Moody's death spread, tributes have emerged on Twitter and elsewhere, with friends and colleagues remembering Moody as a kind and generous man — far from his on-screen demeanor as an evil mortician.