SMITHFIELD, Va. — Smithfield High School, where Matthew Ployd warmly greeted students every day in his government class, became the gathering place for family, friends, current and former students, and colleagues on Thursday.
They came to say their final goodbyes and celebrate his life.
Matthew Ployd was no stranger to the News 3 team.
Anchor Erin Miller interviewed him numerous times for stories ranging from paying out-of-pocket for school supplies to make his classroom a welcoming environment, to incorporating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol into his curriculum.
Watch that interview below
"The walls are constantly packed with art. So everything you see has been come into my pocket. Not one ounce of that has been supplied by school systems," Ployd had said in one of Erin's stories.
Before becoming a full-time government teacher, Matthew served as a substitute teacher at Smithfield High School, where he first began to impact students' lives.
For the last two years, Matthew suffered from liver disease.
Watch related: Chesterfield woman receives liver donation from Good Samaritan
He passed away in March at the age of 47.
"Matt may have died too soon, but I know in the few short years he taught here he touched more lives than most people do in multiple lifetimes," said Matthew's brother, Adam Ployd, during Thursday service.
The atmosphere at Smithfield High School on Thursday was a testament to Matthew's impact.
His daughter spoke about her father's love for the guitar, and colleagues highlighted his inspiring work in the classroom, which sometimes included strumming on his guitar.
"Mr. Ployd didn’t just teach, he led, inspired, and changed lives," said Aston Williams, an assistant principal at Smithfield High School.
Watch related: Ployd speaks about divisive concepts in classrooms
Matthew's wife shared insights into his teaching style, remembering, "He loved telling stories, and I think that was his teaching style. The kids really gravitated toward that because they remember things… because you don’t remember facts. But he loved his students."
She emphasized that students learned more than government lessons from Matthew.
"To be passionate, to be kind, to fight for the little guy," she said.
One of Matthew's most notable accomplishments was crafting a bill with his students, now known as Monica’s Law, to protect and support human trafficking survivors.
"She was the human trafficking survivor, and she meant a lot to our family, and she became family," Matthew's wife said.
His students followed the bill until it passed and became law.
"I think it meant a lot that the students worked so hard on it," she told News 3's Jay Greene.
On Thursday, the community remembered those achievements and celebrated the life of a father, husband, friend, and educator in the same place where he celebrated his students.
"This is exactly what we would have wanted… this was his place," his wife said.
