CAROLINA FOREST, SC (WBTW) – An Horry County community is mourning the death of a teacher and mentor. Carolina Forest High School teacher Jon Peret died from pancreatic cancer Wednesday.

Carolina Forest sophomore Lexie Stultz says she loved bringing donuts to her former biology teacher almost every day.

“I hope they have good Boston cream donuts in heaven,” Stultz wrote in a message on a memorial poster for Peret.

Stultz says she enjoyed talking to Peret, even though she only took his biology class for one semester.

“He was one of those teachers that you didn’t have to have him to love him,” Stultz said. “He would just walk around and joke with you.”

Peret was also a teaching associate at Coastal Carolina University and volunteered at All 4 Paws Animal Rescue in Pawleys Island.

“Jon had a true calling for teaching,” said Latricia Clardy, a math teacher at Carolina Forest.

Peret was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer last year. After months of teaching through sickness and chemotherapy treatments, he took the spring semester off at Carolina Forest.

“When he left, his plan was to be back in the fall,” Clardy said. “He was going to be well.”

But Peret lost his battle with pancreatic cancer and died Wednesday at 49 years old. Students wrote prayers and happy memories on a poster to give to Peret’s family.

“You light up the darkness of many everyday lives,” one student wrote. Some left letters and even a Rubik’s Cube from the club he chaperoned.

Stultz also made a tribute video to Peret in her broadcasting class.

“He was like a life coach, like a father,” a student said in Stultz’s video.

As the people who Peret touched mourn his death, they’re also helping his family pay for many of his treatments.

“The last time I went to visit him, I hugged him and it was just hard for me to see him like that,” Stultz said. “I knew how much Mr. Peret had to fight to be here.”

“To me, he leaves a legacy and he’s a role model to go by,” Clardy said.

One of Peret’s fellow teachers set up a GoFundMe page to raise donations for his family’s medical costs. To see it click: here.