Hundreds of students show up to old school to mourn the death of high school teacher of 30 years

A school in Castle Rock, Colorado, has suffered the devastating loss of a beloved teacher. On March 4, 2023, Jules Daley died from an unknown cause, leaving family, friends and students heartbroken. According to Daniel C. Oakes High School's Facebook post, Mr. Daley worked as an English, History and Economics teacher at the establishment.

He was an inspiration for generations of students and someone that people looked up to. The school held a candlelight ceremony to mourn the loss of his untimely death. A photo shared on Reddit shows over 300 former students from over 30 years of Daley's time at the school arrive at their old school to pay their last tributes to their beloved teacher.

Jenifer Nerwin set up a GoFundMe page that recounts the impact of Mr. Daley on his students. A teacher for about three decades at Daniel C. Oakes High School, he touched the lives of countless students with love and support.

"His endless support and love gave students the courage not to give up and to reach their goals of graduation and beyond. Through teaching poetry, he taught students to cope with their past and present struggles and better themselves. Mr. Daley was the heart and soul of the Daniel C. Oakes Family and his legacy will live on through his students and colleagues," the page reads. "Mr. Daley was also a loving husband, father and grandfather. He loved his family and his extended Oakes family deeply, and his endless love touched the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to know him."  

Almost 29k people upvoted the post on Reddit and many have expressed their sincere condolences and praised Mr. Daley for his efforts. "Looks like he was a lot of people's favorite teacher. You're all very lucky to have had the experience," commented u/blumpkinpandemic.

"We are all very lucky indeed. This was the most bittersweet/depressing/beautiful/happy experience of my life. This man saved us. We all got to hug his wife and children and tell them how much their husband/father changed our lives. They postponed the funeral so we could all attend," replied u/LSDFRENCHFRIES. 

Mr. Daley reportedly helped lost and troubled teens in high school that most people overlooked and guided them towards success and light. "This was an alternative high school, you know the small schools for the 'bad kids?' This man took the lost and troubled teens and guided them out of the darkness into success. He was a legend. Saved many lives. People flew across the country to be here for this. He will be missed, dearly by many," u/LSDFRENCHFRIES said.

Teachers are an integral part of our lives and some of them have a profound effect on us. They mold our thoughts and assist us in identifying our strengths and goals. For some, teaching is just a means of subsistence. Yet, for other people—like Mr. Daley—it is their life.

u/LSDFRENCHFRIES added, "He taught an alternative high school for troubled kids. He was a very patient, humble, loving man. He not only taught us academically. But real-life lessons. He taught us how to be better people. How to see through the darkness and find the light. How to accept ourselves and others. He had a way of giving you the answers you needed and hitting you right in the soul with just a few words. He was more than a great teacher. He was a mentor, a role model, and most importantly, a friend."