The first time I met Rhonda Klutts was at a funeral.

Rhonda was the choral director at B.F. Terry High School, and the varsity choir was singing at the service of a former Terry Ranger who’d been killed in action during the Iraq war.

I remember being quite impressed by the poise of these teenagers and the compassionate teacher leading them through an incredibly difficult tragedy.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve discovered that helping students understand life is just one of the many traits that make Rhonda such an incredible teacher.

On the first day of school, Rhonda purposely trips over something and tells the teens “I’m a klutz. Get it?!” They immediately know this smiling teacher has a great sense of humor and isn’t afraid to laugh at herself.

But that won’t happen in the fall.

After 21 years at Terry High School, Rhonda has decided to retire. She’s always had the dream of owning her own piano studio, and that dream is finally coming true this fall.

The teaching world, however, is losing an incredible educator. She’s the teacher everyone hopes to have, the teacher every mother prays her child will have and the teacher educators hope to be like.

She willingly welcomes and teaches every child who comes through the door, from those who have perfect pitch to those who arrive in wheelchairs. Even though they have limitations, Rhonda works with every child and coaxes notes and lyrics from them.

Her students feel at home in her choir room and, most importantly, they want to give “Mama Klutts” their very best.

That commitment is reflected in the dozens of awards and trophies her choirs have earned over the past two decades.

That love is reflected in the faces of the elderly when Rhonda takes her choirs to area nursing homes to sing Christmas carols.

That love of music is etched on the face of every youngster who encounters Rhonda when her varsity choir sings in the halls at Terry or performs at elementary schools.

She’ll spend hours with a student struggling with life and she’ll make sure a teen gets back on the right road if they’ve strayed. She often cries herself to sleep because she’s worried about a student making poor choices.

That servant’s heart is evident outside the school room. Rhonda has a deep belief in God and has played the piano at Calvary Baptist Church every Wednesday and Sunday for years.

She adores her family, her husband, Joe, her son and daughter in law, Jeremy and Tara, and especially the light in her eyes, her grandson Everett.

She never hides her love of life and of her chosen profession. Never was that more evident than at her last concert this week. The auditorium was packed, including many former students who came to watch their beloved teacher one more time.

They weren’t disappointed.

Every student in Rhonda’s choirs sang their heart out. For the last song, her teaching assistant, Marlayna Shaw, arranged for her former students from the past two decades to join the varsity choir for the last songs.

Rhonda stood in the middle of the auditorium, tears streaming down her face, as she conducted over 250 current and former students in their final concert with her.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Most of us hope to leave the world a better place than how it was when we arrived. We pray our families will be proud of us and hope we’ve left them examples of the best way to live their lives.

There is no doubt that Rhonda Klutts is leaving a legacy of creating outstanding choirs with students who’ve never had voice or music lessons in their lives.

But more important than the trophies on the shelves is Rhonda instilled the belief in her students that they matter.

Teachers like Rhonda don’t come along very often. They’re a rare and precious gift because they plant seeds that grow for generations.

Terry High School was incredibly blessed to have this wonderful person behind the piano for so many years, and I’m fortunate to call her my friend.

Enjoy your retirement, Rhonda, but know – you will be missed and, as you so loved your students, you, too, will always be loved.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.