Former Grossmont high school superintendent dies after cancer battle

The former leader of Grossmont Union High School District, longtime district educator Mike Fowler, has died after a battle with brain cancer.

“Superintendent Fowler’s leadership made a profound and lasting difference in the lives of students, staff, and families. His compassion and unwavering commitment to students defined his service and shaped our East County community,” Grossmont Union High School Board President Gary Woods said in a statement Wednesday. “We grieve this loss together and honor the legacy he leaves behind.”

Fowler was chosen in April of last year to lead the East County district of about 16,500 students after serving in the district for 28 years.

At the time, he called the promotion “a tremendous honor and a humbling responsibility.”

Fowler had previously been the district’s assistant superintendent of educational services, overseeing curriculum, student discipline, special education, athletics and more.

He was also the principal at Granite Hills High, an assistant principal at Granite Hills and El Capitan High and a curriculum specialist and teacher at Helix High.

Fowler had switched to education as a second career after initially working in banking.

“I knew firsthand that providing a safe and structured environment for students to learn and grow was a valuable community service, so I changed paths,” Fowler had said, according to a district press release.

After Fowler went on medical leave in January to pursue cancer treatment, the district had retired longtime education official Sandra Huezo take over while it searched for a long-term successor.

In June, the board confirmed a new permanent superintendent, Kirsten Vital Brulte, who previously led Capistrano Unified.

“Though I did not have the honor of knowing him personally, I know that Mr. Fowler fought heroically and faced his illness with immense courage. His final words to the organization were ‘you are loved,’ and his legacy should inspire us all to reach higher in service to students,” Brulte said in a statement.

The Grossmont teachers union called the loss of Fowler “heartbreaking.”

“We mourn together the loss of an inspirational teacher, administrator and leader,” the union said in an Instagram post. “He led with kindness and gentleness, and he will be forever missed.”

Fowler is survived by his wife Maria Vidal-Fowler, the principal of San Diego Unified’s Silver Gate Elementary, and their two children.