Former Naperville North High School teacher Steve Mazzarella died early Saturday morning following a nearly year-long battle with brain cancer. He was 62 years old.

The former NNHS health teacher and diving coach of 34 years left a lasting impact on his community, and he will be deeply missed. Over the weekend, former students, co-workers, divers, Operation Snowball attendees and family members took to social media to express condolences for Mazzarella’s family and share memories of him.

Friday night, Steve’s son, Matthew Mazzarella, wrote in a Facebook post that Steve was “resting comfortably at his home surrounded by his family.” In an interview with The North Star last year, Steve Mazzarella showed the wisdom and kindness that made him such a respected educator and colleague.

“Love each other. Don’t miss those moments when you can take a chance to affirm someone else about how valuable they are in your life,” Mazzarella said.