LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — It’s been a long day for Weaver Elementary School principal Dr. Todd Schmidt.

“It hurt, it hurt so much it’s been a really rough 24 hours,” Schmidt said.

Rough, because in between work, he’s been coping with a tragedy.

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His friend Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton Chester, were on the helicopter that crashed Sunday in Calabasas, killing Kobe Bryant and eight other people.

Dr. Schmidt wrote a memorial post on Facebook, it reads:

“While the world mourns the loss of a dynamic athlete and humanitarian, I mourn the loss of two people just as important, their impact was just as meaningful, their loss will be just as keenly felt and our hearts are just as broken.”

He met Sarah and Payton when he was the principal at Harbor View Elementary School in Corona del Mar. He watched Payton grow from 1st to 5th grade. 

“It hit us hard, because the Chesters were one of those families that everyone adored; teachers, other students. As a principal, they were a dream family, supportive, caring, funny,” said Dr. Schmidt.

Sarah was a parent volunteer and was deeply involved in the school. Payton was a joy to be around, as her 4th grade teacher wrote back then:

“Her compassion and kindness towards her friends, peers, adults, the elderly, animals and the environment is truly remarkable. She goes out of her way to listen, help and love, she uplifts and appreciates the differences in others.”

But Dr. Schmidt’s love for the Chester family may be even more evident on his wall, because even years after Payton changed schools, and he moved to another district, Dr. Schmidt still has pictures of her in his office.

“It’s amazing because she’s in second grade right here,” he said, pointing to a picture of a little girl in a blue dress. 

It’s a massive loss, says Dr. Schmidt, for the family and the entire community; but he says their legacy won’t soon be forgotten.

“I have this picture of Payton dancing as a snowman and it kind of reminds me you have to dance like nobody is watching, and she did," said Schmidt. "They lived their life by their example, their actions, and we’re all better because we had them in our lives.”