Schools in the Moncton area are preparing for the funeral of popular science teacher, Trevor Nason, who died in a tragic motorcycle accident on Saturday.

The 27-year-old teacher taught at several schools including Harrison Trimble High School, NBCC Moncton and he was just three weeks into his new assignment as a science teacher at Caledonia Regional High School in Hillsborough when the crash occurred.

Schools will remain open tomorrow during Nason's funeral, but many students and teachers plan to attend the service for the gifted award-winning teacher.

"The school was quiet and everybody is sad," says Harrison Trimble High School student Margaret Mwannza. "His death is a catastrophe to all the students, everybody is sad."

School District 2 says more than 40 teachers are expected to attend Nason's funeral on Wednesday. A combination of supply teachers, guidance counselors and school mentors will fill the staff shortage.

Students will be allowed to attend the funeral and schools will remain open so students who don't feel comfortable attending won't be alone.

"We want students where adults are when something as tragic as this happens, so we have the support for those students who need it at the school," says Allen Marr, a learning specialist with District 2.

Meanwhile, a shrine has been erected on Hillsborough Road at the site where Trevor Nason's motorcycle collided with a pickup truck Saturday afternoon.

Police are still trying to determine what caused the crash.

Friends say Nason loved motorcycles and was an experienced driver.

"We're looking at getting as many bikes as we possibly can to lead the hearse from the church where the funeral is being held, towards his burial site," says friend Brad Korotkov.

Education and learning were Nason's other life passions, which was evident when he won the prestigious Discovery Channel Iron Science Teacher Award, a national science teacher competition that was held in Calgary in March.

"Learning shouldn't be boring, it shouldn't be a chore," Nason told CTV Calgary back in March. "It should be something that they enjoy and that they want to do."

Nason's family and students say he was passionate about his job and he was known to entertain students, both inside the classroom and out, as he taught them about the world of science. One YouTube video shows Nason rapping about chemistry at a school assembly.

"The moment I met him I knew I'd like him because he genuinely looked happy and friendly," says Caledonia Regional High School student Kaitlyn Tavender.

"He was full of jokes, he was a gentleman," says student Clarice Mwannza, "Everybody loved him, he was kind."

Caledonia Regional High School student Daniel Akerley says Nason was more like a friend than a teacher, and he often entertained his class with "the best stories."

Nason's funeral service will be held Wednesday at the Wesleyan Church in Moncton. According to Nason's obituary, the public is invited to pay their respects at the church from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m., when the service begins.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore