For about 2-3 years my father has had colon cancer and was in and out of the hospital, constantly doing tests, surgeries,procedures and what not but he was still able to function and do all sorts of things a normal person could do and you couldn't really tell he had cancer. That was until we entered 2025 where things started to get progressively worse. I had been in Mr. Hamilton's class during this time and I remember at the beginning of the year he had announced to the class that if there were absolutely anything they wanted to talk about or let him know he's completely open. I'm still not sure why but I felt a sense of security around him. It was the way he made jokes, communicated with students, and pushed us to do better in his class and I overall liked his style though, I wasn't doing the best in his class I was still always able to do better eventually and managed to learn and in the the few times he did sit down and do small groups or tutoring, almost 5 minutes into working with him I'd for some reason catch up and learn it real quick. so overall it was safe to say that I trusted him. So I went to Mr.Hamilton about March-May time frame regularly telling him about my dad and different procedures that the hospital had done on my dad and he had listened to me to be vent and tell him how worried I was as things had gotten progressively worse and he would let me call my mom there and then to ask how my dad was doing in fear something would happen while I was gone. (He had previously met my dad before a few times when my mom and dad would pick me up for tutoring.) He's always given me words of wisdom especially with the fear of loved ones passing as sadly, for Mr. Hamilton it was normal for him as he has had about (don't quote me on this) 7+ already passed friends and family members for different causes. So I trusted that he knew what he was talking about and took the advice he had told me and every once in a while he would ask me how my dad was doing and what's going on. Then came the end of the year, he asked me to keep him up on updated as we both departed for the summer to then see him later the next year. Tragically on July 16th, 2025 at 9:10 AM my father Tomas Gonzales Sr. had taken his last breath after weeks, even months of pain in his body but as he was finally called to be with the Lord and put to rest he was in his bed surrounded by his wife and all of his children and family. This absolutely shattered me. From my mothers phone I texted and called Mr. Hamilton to break the news to him and give him updates and news for the arranged details for his funeral and what not. Unfortunately Mr.Hamilton was long far out of town in a different state doing some business he had to attend to when I had contacted him. He told me he wishes he had been able to make it and apologized deeply. Once the school year started Mr. Hamilton had kept tabs on me, asking me how me and my mother were doing and if we needed anything and if I needed to talk but at this point it still hadn't fully gotten to me as I was still in shock. Mr. Hamilton talked to me regularly making sure I was ok and still trying in school. To this day as we’re approaching almost 1 year soon I have a deep and great respect for Mr. Hamilton and always will; besides my family, he was there and willing to help at any moment as I was going through the process of not only losing my dad but going through grief after losing my father. For this, Mr.Hamilton is and always will be the greatest teacher.