VASHON ISLAND, Wash. — A beloved teacher who worked in western Washington for more than 30 years is being remembered by the students and community he impacted.

Harris Levinson, 61, taught for Tacoma Public Schools for around the past decade, and before that worked on Vashon Island as a teacher for around 20 years. He also taught for some time at Garfield High School in Seattle.

The Vashon Island community, where he lived and spent most of his career, is mourning his loss.

“It’s surreal to just have someone so close just not be around, you know?” said Bill Jarcho, his friend of nearly 30 years.

Levinson loved theatre, traveling the world, and the outdoors. He just hiked the Wonderland Trail at Mount Rainier National Park last year.

“Harris was one of the one of those people that was enthusiastic about everything,” said Jarcho.

One thing he loved most was teaching.

“Oh, my goodness, it was his life,” said Jarcho. “It was his life to be a teacher.”

At the end of June, Levinson set off on a more than 200-mile solo backpacking trip that started near Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park in Central California. He was planning to do the John Muir Trail up to Yosemite.

When Levinson was not updating friends back in Washington and did not show up for his food supply pickup, those close to him grew concerned.

"One of our friends was going to meet him for the last little bit of this, and he hadn’t checked in,” said Jarcho. 

A search and rescue team tracked Levinson using his Garmin device and last week they found his body down the side of a mountain, saying he died from a fall. He was just two miles into his trek.

“We don't know what happened, he slipped and obviously fell quite a distance and that was it,” said Jarcho.

His students described him as someone who made a lasting impact on their life. Memories and odes to Levinson have flooded social media from students he has taught over the decades.

Former Vashon High School student Tyrel Stendahl had Levinson as a teacher. In an interview with KING 5, Stendahl said Levinson was known as the edgy and cool teacher and was also known for being encouraging and supportive.

Stendahl said many of the students who were artsy and creative looked up to him.

"You're always just kind of like looking for role models that are like, ‘Oh, you can be an adult and be like a little out there, and it's OK,’” said Stendahl. “That was a huge deal for me and a lot of my friends, it was like, we're going to be OK."

He said Levinson was very involved in outside of school activities and in the community, saying he would support students in everything they did for years after they graduated.

“He was just like a constant cheerleader,” said Stendahl.

Although his death is still hard to comprehend, those closest to him say his memory will live on in the hundreds of students and people he impacted.

“He will always be with me,” said Jarcho.