Schilling was a science teacher in the Hewlett school district, and friends said he had an obvious connection with his students. They said that he was very good at relating to his students.

He was very successful in teaching, friends said, taking on advanced classes, and was one of the first to begin teaching forensics in high school. He was also a great volleyball coach, coaching kids to championships and on to play after high school. Fellow lifeguards said that every summer, scores of his former students would seek him out on the beach to say hello and catch up.

“If I can only do what he did for his students, it would be amazing,” said Leis, who is also a teacher.

“He was a gentleman as a coach,” Daly said. “He demanded precision from his guys, but he was not a screamer and yeller. He was unflappable, and he kept his kids that way. He was a quiet and good leader.”

Friends said that his lasting legacy on the Long Beach Lifeguards will be the annual skin cancer screening he pioneered. Daly said that both he and Schilling encountered problems with skin cancer after so many years spent in the sun before sunscreen use was common, and Schilling wanted to help educate the younger lifeguards on the importance of sun protection and screenings.

His dermatologist now comes down to the beach once a summer and checks all of the lifeguards for any signs of skin cancer. Leis vowed that the lifeguards would keep this annual event going in Schilling’s name.

“He was my friend, he was my mentor, a partner in crime,” Leis said. “He taught me a lot about life, and helped me become who I am.”