Steven “Mr. G” Gail died Wednesday, according to sources close to the Gail family. He died after a long battle with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, a rare form of cancer that is estimated to affect only a few hundred people each year.

Steven Gail, better known as Mr. G, or “the Singing Sub” left a lasting impact across generations of Santa Clarita Valley students, and as his struggle with a rare form of cancer motivated students to show him just how much he means to them.

“Mr. G gave you a reason to keep showing up to school hoping he would be your substitute for the day. Everyone envied the classroom that had him as a substitute,” said Nick Ventura, a former Saugus Student who graduated from AOC in 2009, in a Facebook post. “What a wonderful world, Thank you Mr. G.”

After one of the most beloved teachers in the Santa Clarita Valley was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, he refused to miss work and be away from his students. Over five years after his diagnosis, he finally had to step out of the classroom and check himself into the hospital, and just days ago was moved back into his home for hospice care.

Students at Saugus could not just let Mr. G fade out of their lives and got together to create a moving video tribute for the Singing Sub, getting together to belt out Sammy Davis Jr.’s “The Candy Man,” as he would often end his classes by performing the song.

The video begins with students gathered in a classroom preparing for their own talent show when the topic of Mr. G comes up. After one of the “new guys” asks who Mr. G students give their own personal accounts before launching into his famous song.

“He is our cheerleader, and he gave me hope in something that i didn’t really think i could do.” says one student in the video. Another student adds “He’s not just a teacher he is a best friend to everyone, he really cares about teaching, he really wants to be someone friend apart from just being a teacher.”  

https://youtu.be/Q_YOsESyxBo

The students visited Mr. G in his North Hollywood home and showed him the video shortly before his passing.

“Undoubtedly, Mr. G was the teacher that everybody knew, he was Mr. G the singing substitute teacher, whenever you walked into class and saw him it definitely brightened your day,” said Drake Hugo, a 2015 Saugus grad. “He was just such a positive and happy guy that loved teaching kids and singing to them after every period.”

When word first got out of Mr. G’s diagnosis in 2010, the students stopped at nothing to support their beloved teacher, donating over two thousand dollars worth of change over the course of a week and got multiple local businesses involved.

A student from that 2010 Saugus class who has been helping to raise funds and spread awareness for Mr. G posted a quote from him on Facebook.

“Know..I always think of you guys even though you are well on your way experiencing your lives. But I will never forget Saugus 2010 and especially you Maddie. That will always be one of the things that I will always look back at. It gave me a lot of strength to remain extremely positive and that is why I am still here. A positive attitude and you and your wonderful fellow students that helped me feel that way. The Doctor’s are still amazed by my intestinal fortitude in this battle, but it all starts back with you and Bree and Saugus. I wish you only always the very best in whatever you do in life”

Mr. G found a way to use the position of substitute teacher as a way to reach students across grade levels and class subjects with songs like, “The Periodic Chart Chemistry Doo-Wop,” and  “Learning the Seas Takes the Longest Time” his own twist on Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time.”

“For almost six years, people got to know him, he is definitely ingrained in the school community, especially Saugus,” said Hugo, in reference to the wide reach Mr. G was able to have as a substitute. “He actually was the emcee at our talent show my junior year (2014). He was just involved in a lot of community things on campus.”

“I can’t imagine it’s easy being a substitute and having to form a connection with students who know you’ll only be with them for maybe an hour.” Said a former Valencia High Student, Robert Spallone.”But Mr. G somehow managed to take that brief amount of time to leave his students with an impression that will last a lifetime.

“His attitude on life, he was just happy to be there and lived in the moment like no one i have ever met.” said Hugo.

A gofundme page was created by on Wednesday to help raise funds for his wife Olga and remaining medical expenses and funeral costs.

Click Here to visit the page and see how you can help.