By Amanda Rink, Editor
June 25, 2025 – At CGD Middle School, music became more than notes for one beloved teacher; it was a way to reach kids who needed someone to believe in them. For ten years, that someone was Mr. Tom Klaver.
Tom passed away on June 24 after a courageous battle with cancer. In the days since, his impact has echoed throughout the community like a familiar, comfortable melody. He wasn’t just the middle school band teacher. He was a listener, a champion, a friend. And for many, he was the first adult who made them feel seen.
“He had a special heart for the ‘Charlie Browns’ of the world,” reads a line in Tom’s official obituary.
It’s a line that says everything about Tom’s teaching. He didn’t just teach scales and tempo. He taught patience, self-worth, and how to carry yourself with kindness. Former students remember lessons that had nothing to do with music, like “early is on time, and on time is late,” or how to leave a place better than you found it. But they also remember how it felt to be in his room… safe, encouraged, capable.
“Mr. Klaver nurtured my love of music and knew what I needed as a kid. I could tell he had faith in me, and that gave me the ability to have faith in myself,” shared one former student.
That impact traces back through a life shaped by music, service, and a commitment to teaching.
Born in Colorado in 1971, Tom’s journey took him through Texas, Oklahoma, and eventually to small-town Iowa, where he found both his calling and a community. He was a gifted musician from a young age, landing a full ride to the University of Iowa, where he played everything from marching band to symphony. He even marched in the 1991 Rose Bowl Parade.
After college, he began teaching, then served in the Navy as a professional musician, playing bass and rhythm guitar in the Navy rock band Horizon. But the classroom kept calling him back.
Wherever he taught, Denison, South Hamilton, CAL, or CGD, his bands earned top honors. But Tom never measured success by trophies. He measured it in confidence built, shoulders squared, and kids who found their voice through music.
Tom’s influence didn’t stop at the band room; he was the excited voice heard from the press box on Friday nights, announcing Cowboy Football with his well-known humor. He was the guy who showed up early, stayed late, and still had time to ask about your family. He made room for everyone in his life.
“Your loss will be deeply felt throughout the communities that make up CGD. I will personally miss your wit as the stadium announcer for Cowboy Football. I will always remember you rolling out your amp and bass as we jammed to AC/DC at a middle school dance. Your passion for music and the kids was so infectious,” shared CGD’s sports announcer, Dave Stein. “You always asked how my wife was doing, even when your own battle was raging.”
“Tom’s impact on students’ lives will resonate forever. As a band leader, he inspired countless young minds and helped shape the next generations of musicians. Their lives are forever changed by Tom. His smile, funny wit, and his love for Bella [Tom’s dearly loved cat] will live on,” shared coworker Tanja Jensen.
In his free time, Tom found joy in the simple things… tending to his garden, cheering on the Hawkeyes, feeding the birds, or playing in the local symphony. Music was his constant, but kindness was his gift, which he offered freely.
Tom’s memory will continue in the hearts of many and will be kept safe by his loving mother, Jerilynn; his brother and best friend, Jay; his sister-in-law, Julie Klaver; his nephews, Hayden and Thomas, and niece Kylie, along with his Uncle Jim and Aunt Sonjia.
Tom will meet a few loved ones at the pearly gates: his father, Gary; grandparents Ben and Kathryn Klaver, Jerry and Lois Michaelson; Aunt and Uncle Gwen and Jerry Farnham; and his cousins.
And of course, Tom will be remembered by generations of students, coworkers, and friends. Whose lives were left brighter by his impact, because Mr. Tom Klaver didn’t need a spotlight to make a difference. He just showed up every day with music in his heart. And for so many in the community, that was more than enough.
There will be an open-house visitation on Sunday, July 13, at Clarion Congregational United Church of Christ from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Notes, memories, and donations in Tom’s honor can be sent to Adams Celebration of Life in Iowa Falls.
