Padres Chairman Peter Seidler, who became a hero to Padres fans for his financial commitment and enthusiasm for the team and for baseball, died Tuesday.

Seidler, who turned 63 last week, had been battling an illness for months. His wife and children were with him when he died. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Seidler’s grandfather, Walter O’Malley, moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles from Brooklyn in 1958, and Seidler’s mother and uncle, Peter O’Malley, owned the team until 1998. Many of Seidler’s most joyous moments as an owner came when the Padres beat the Dodgers, who he once referred to as the “dragon up the freeway that we’re trying to slay.”

Seidler, who founded Seidler Equity Partners in 1992, was part of the group that bought the Padres in August 2012.

He moved to San Diego and quickly became active in philanthropic causes, including working to alleviate homelessness. In large part due to Seidler’s leadership, the Padres Foundation — the team’s charitable organization — increased its annual giving by 1,000 percent.

Seidler became almost instantly beloved after taking over daily operation of the team, as fans felt he was essentially one of them as evidenced by his increased spending and exuberance. He once declared the 2020s would be “The Padres’ decade.” In 2022, Seidler, usually accompanied by his wife, eldest daughter or both, met up with the Padres in one city on virtually every road trip, a rarity for team owners.

Two days after the Padres lost to the Phillies in the 2022 National League Championship Series, the first time the franchise had advanced that far in 24 seasons, Seidler was asked about the Padres’ payroll for 2023.

“I kind of like spending money,” Seidler said with a grin. “You can’t take it with you.”