A perfectionist, she demanded as much from others as she did from herself. But despite that insistent nature, she still drew individuals to her and ultimately made them better people.

That requires a very specific skill set, and Debbie Kline-Smith was a very special lady.

"Debbie was very detail-oriented," said Keith Reifsnyder, Kline-Smith's assistant, colleague and former student. "It's hard to separate (her professional life from her personal life), because she lived it. She was dedicated to her students. ... She was detail-oriented in everything, and not just the music. I think she lived to create experiences, and not just for herself, but also for others."

A beloved figure in the Warwick community, Kline-Smith passed away on July 22, in her home - about two months after she had undergone a surgical procedure - at the age of 66. Kline-Smith taught music scholastically for 40 years, 35 of which were spent in the Warwick School District.

Through her love for music, she positively influenced and inspired the lives of thousands of young people in the Lititz area, including Reifsnyder.

"My relationship with Debbie was complicated," added Reifsynder. "Debbie and I were very different people, but we had so many things in common. She leaves her fingerprints on everyone she comes in contact with. I have been influenced by her in so many ways."

Upon her retirement from Warwick, Kline-Smith - at the urging of former students - founded the Lititz Area Community Choir (LACC), Warwick Alumni and Friends in August of 2022. Not only was Kline-Smith the driving force behind the 85-member choir, she was the director, creative mind, organizer and glue that held things together.

After LACC was founded, the group performed a total of eight concerts - a holiday show each year and an annual spring production. All of the shows were professionally produced and well received in the community.

"It's a result of hard work and dedication," Kline-Smith told Townlively in 2024. "We have some wonderful people who are very dedicated. The quality performances bring people back. They know they're going to hear music they like, and the choir enjoys singing. I don't think we'd have audiences that are so large if we weren't improving. I don't think we'd be playing to full houses. That's what's exciting to me. It kind of speaks for itself."

"I remember when Debbie retired from Warwick," said Reifsnyder, a resident of Lititz. "We did an alumni celebration at her last concert, and she was so touched by it. Even though she had nothing to do with it, all of her hard work was up on that stage. The nurture comes with the perfection. She always thought we could do better, and she cared about people."

Following some self-reflection, Reifsnyder has agreed to carry on what Kline-Smith started, in the role of LAAC's new director. The choir's next performance, titled "Yule Be Swinging" - which includes concepts, themes and a medley produced by Kline-Smith and reimagined favorites from Reifsynder - will be presented at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20, at Warwick High School's Performing Arts Center, 301 W. Orange St., Lititz.

"I think this is what Debbie wanted," said Reifsnyder. "If I had decided to resign, I don't think there was enough structure, and I thought the choir was going to collapse. That was one of the biggest reasons I decided to stay on. These were Debbie's people.

"Just because Debbie is gone, the choir is not done," concluded Reifsnyder. "I don't say I'm a replacement, because there is no replacement for Debbie. I want to carry on that legacy for her. That's why we're doing this."