MADISON, Wis. -- A local educational figure many describe as "larger than life" is being mourned.

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Legendary Madison educator Milton McPike died over the weekend, leaving behind family, friends and thousands of students whose lives he'd touched over the years. But in talking about what his legacy will be, it's clear the Madison community might have lost the man who taught them, but they haven't lost his lessons.

"I just remember him being in the halls. I think that's the biggest memory I have, the fact that he made it a point to talk to and connect with every single kid who walked down that hallway," said Art Rainwater, superintendent of the Madison School District.

McPike stood at 6 feet 4 inches tall. He was a former pro-football athlete who mingled with the crowd in Madison East High School's hallways.

"One thing that was very special about Milt was his hands-on approach, that he was out and about. He lived and breathed East High School," said Mark Nelson, a graduate of East in 1987 who came back to teach under McPike's watch.

"He was a down-to-earth guy; you could talk to him about any issues you, had which was cool about him," said Lisa Tygum, a 1992 East graduate. "He'd take care of things and make sure you got back on that path."

McPike spent 23 years as East High's principal. His students came back to be teachers, and longtime teachers learned to aspire to be more.

"Milt just led; he created a culture here of all students felt welcome, all students could thrive here, and I just loved what he created," said Nelson.

"Milt was not just a friend. He was not just a boss," said Richard Scott, minority services coordinator at East, who had known McPike for 36 years. "He was a mentor. He was a brother to me, but he was also a very profound father figure because I learned an awful lot in terms of how to work through situations."

His legacy, some say, is in those he left behind.

"It was kind of like Milt was the proverbial person on the side of the road who built a home to give respite and rest for those weary travelers on the journey through life," said Scott.

"The biggest contribution that Milt is going to make is what lives on in the lives of thousands of children than he influenced and affected, and what they pass on to their children," said Rainwater.

"He will be missed. He was a wonderful man," said Tygum.

Arrangements have been made for McPike's memorial. A visitation with the McPike family will be held Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the McPike Fieldhouse on the East Campus. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Christ Presbyterian Church on Gorham Street.