Pollard-McCall principal Hugh White died Saturday.
Details are unclear, but he died from natural causes. Funeral announcements will be posted once they are made public.
Escambia County Schools superintendent John Knott was at a loss of words Saturday when he heard the news.
“It has been just been absolute overwhelming,” Knott said. “Hugh was my friend…I can tell you that. It is a devastating loss to his family. They have our hearts and prayers.”
Knott said it is devastating news to the whole community.
“Hugh White was just a good man,” Knott said. “He had a good heart and was a very unselfish person. There is no way we can replace him in our personal and professional lives. We will move on and do what he would want us to do. It is just a devastating blow.”
Knott said White just had surgery on his leg.
“No one would have expected this,” he said.”He loved his job and his kids and would do everything possible for them. I consider him a friend. We shared some great memories together and I will never forget them.”
White, who was 40, took the helm of Pollard-McCall, where he had been a math and science teacher, on Feb. 1, 2006.

He is survived by his wife, Traci, and their children, Mattie, Jack, and Abbie.
He was the son of the late F.P. “Skippy” White, a long-time state representative, and Clara White. He also is survived by his siblings, Todd White and Sarah Anne Fountain.