Gregory Middle School teacher Brent Gulick always put kids first

From teaching to coaching, Gregory Middle School teacher Brent Gulick always put kids first.

But now special education students at the Naperville school have lost one of their strongest advocates.

Gulick, 54, died Thursday morning after battling pancreatic cancer since spring.

Principal Steve Severson described Gulick as a "truly a wonderful person in a world where that is not the norm."

"Brent was a passionate educator who worked tirelessly to make sure that his students had every opportunity for success," Severson said in an e-mail to the school community. "Brent dedicated his life to his family and his students."

Originally from Long Island, N.Y., Gulick earned his bachelor's degree in social science and education from Nebraska Wesleyan University.

He moved to Naperville with his family in the early 1990s and became involved as a coach and manager for the Naperville Baseball Association.

Inspired by the thought a small number of people can make a difference, he ran for city council in 2001 but was unsuccessful.

At the time, he described himself as a man who loved the arts, especially opera and Tom Clancy novels, and was proud of his collection of roughly 250 license plates.

Gulick's career consisted of both business and teaching pursuits but he had been teaching full-time at Gregory since 2003. His wife, Janet, is also a teacher in the district.

Information regarding funeral arrangements is not yet available.