Fans paid their respects to Tony Bennett on Friday at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, where the singer, who passed away at the age of 96, grew up.

“I’m very sad today, because Tony Bennett was a part of my life and my family. We loved his music,” Valerie Maneates said.

Maneates joined other fans who paid tribute to Tony Bennett at the high school, honoring a native son who became a global icon.

“He did a lot for the School of the Arts over here, and he did a lot for the community. He was loved by so many and he’s just a part of Astoria,” Maneates said.

Bennett and his wife founded the school in 2001. In 2011, he visited the campus for its 10th anniversary.

Principal Gideon Frankel says Bennett “had a vision for students, talented students in New York City going to a public school that could provide them with an arts education that would enable them to have careers and be lifelong patrons of the arts, and Tony visited our school all the time.”

At times, he brought other superstars like Harry Belafonte and Billy Joel along.

“There’d be no Frank Sinatra School without a very humble Tony Bennett,” said Peter Vallone, a longtime friend and former City Council speaker. 

Vallone remembers Bennett’s insistence that the state-of-the-art school would be named for his mentor.

“I said ‘Tony, you’re going to have to name it after you. I love Frank Sinatra as much as you do, but it has to be named after you.' He said, ‘No, Frank Sinatra,’” Vallone recalled.

Those who knew Bennett hope that young people will be as inspired by his character as they are by his musicianship.

“He was an amazing singer and amazing artist, but also a fierce civil rights activist and humanitarian, and he lived a life that models for our young people and all of us the lives that we should lead,” Frankel said.