ORANGE, Calif. — Army Spc. Trevor Win’E, who died two years to the day after he officially entered the military, was remembered by friends and family as a compassionate guy with an easy smile, always quick to lend a hand.

Some said they barely recognized Win’E’s (pronounced win-ay) serious stare in his official military photos.

“That was the first time any of us could remember seeing him when he didn’t have a big grin on his face. He was literally always smiling growing up,” said Mary Lallande, a longtime family friend and Win’E’s high school guidance counselor.

Win’E, 22, a Costa Mesa native and an avid hockey player, lived briefly in Orange before joining the Army in 2002. He served with the Army’s 24th Quartermaster Company, based in Fort Lewis, Wash. He died May 1 after his armored military vehicle hit an explosive device near Tikrit, Department of Defense officials said.

“He was everybody’s big brother here,” said Nancy Hamilton, his senior English teacher. “In class, he didn’t like to talk about himself; it was always, ‘What can I do to help?”’

Win’E is survived by his parents, his older sister, Tracy, and older brother, Todd, who also served in the military.

Hamilton said during Win’E’s senior year, he sometimes stayed after class to talk about his concerns for his brother’s safety in the Air Force, but Win’E idolized his brother and followed him into the military.

Richie Ruggiero, 23, who grew up playing in soccer leagues with Win’E, said he’s gone through a full range of emotions after learning about his friend’s death.

“It’s weird, you grow up together, and then he’s gone,” he said. “When I first found out, I was in shock. Then I got mad for a while. Then I got sick to my stomach.”

Lallande said she talked to Win’E shortly before he left for Iraq.

“I asked him if he was scared,” she said. “He said he did have fears, but more importantly, he had a job that he’d been training so long to do. He was eager to go do it.”