I’ve had the good fortune in life to meet some extraordinary people. I never met anyone quite like Andrew Payne.

Andrew, who was only 40, died last week. Friends said the cause was an aortic aneurysm. A heart issue would be fitting, because he had one of the biggest hearts you can imagine. WRAL said it happened when he was home helping his mother recuperate from surgery. That sounds like Andrew, too.

Andrew packed a lot into a too-short life. He was a student leader at NC State and a member of the UNC Board of Governors. He was co-founder of the Great Raleigh Trolley. He helped organize the Carolina Cavalry hurricane-rescue effort, for which he was honored by Governor Cooper.

I believe he also was involved in the weekly Air Horn Orchestra that “serenaded” Pat McCrory outside the Governor’s Mansion over House Bill 2.

Being with Andrew was like opening a bottle of champagne. He gave life a sparkle. He was innovative, imaginative and entrepreneurial. Reading the Facebook posts, I’m struck by how many people he touched, how many projects he was involved in and how much he meant to so many people.

I met him when I taught a political science class at NCSU in 2002. He stood out from the first day because he was so smart and engaging and because other students were so clearly drawn to him. Then and always, he had a Peter Pan quality to him.

Carter and I later met with him a few times on a project. We were honored to learn that he called us “mentors.”

No, Andrew, you were our mentor. You showed us all how life is to be lived: helping others, with joy, love and a big heart.

A celebration of Andrew’s life will be held in Market Hall in downtown Raleigh at 6 pm Sunday.