Taylor Swift‘s former high school teacher and security guard, Kirk Schwabe, died on July 3, her wedding day.
Schwabe’s family confirmed his death to The Telegraph, noting the retired Chicago police officer died of metastatic kidney cancer. He was 69.
“My dad had a remarkable way of making people feel seen, valued and protected,” his daughter, Sarah Gordon, told the outlet. “Whether you were family, one of his students, or someone like Taylor whose path crossed his, he cared deeply about people. That’s the legacy he leaves behind.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Swift’s representative and Schwabe’s family for comment.
Schwabe taught criminal justice at Hendersonville High School just outside of Nashville, which Swift attended from 2004 to 2006 before switching to homeschooling to focus on her music career.
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Talking to the news outlet ahead of Swift’s wedding, he recalled the pop star as “one of those kids that could stand in the back, and knew what was going on in the whole classroom. She was aware of who was doing what.”
He remembered an instance of the singer being mocked in school. He told the British newspaper that other students were “teasing her, doing imitations, or something stupid. Her dad (Scott Swift) spoke to me, and I said, ‘Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of it.’ It was taken care of that day.”
As her career began to take off, Schwabe said he quit his job to work as her security guard at the request of her father. He joked to the outlet that the job mostly consisted of waiting around during costume changes. “She’s not the fastest dresser,” he said.
But eventually, Schwabe told the outlet, the work began to be too much.
“I said, ‘Taylor, look, I’m burnt out, I can’t keep up,” he said, per The Telegraph. “I think you’re better [off] getting a professional security guard to come and protect you. I still love you; we’re still on good terms, but I can’t do it anymore.”
Schwabe’s family told the outlet he remained extremely proud of Swift and her success. “He treated her like he did his daughters,” the former educator’s wife, Jane, told The Telegraph.
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The news comes after Swift tied the knot with Travis Kelce at a star-powered ceremony at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, according to Swift’s representative, Tree Paine. The ceremony was officiated by friend Adam Sandler in front of a sea of celebrities, athletes, business moguls, friends and family members. Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead opting for Swift’s brother, Austin Swift, as her man of honor and Kelce’s brother, Jason Kelce, as the groom’s best man.
Schwabe, who was quoted days before the nuptials, told The Telegraph that he was a fan of the pairing. “I do trust Taylor’s judgment. She knows what’s best,” he said.
Contributing: Bryan West, USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taylor Swift’s teacher, bodyguard Kirk Schwabe dies on wedding day
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