Junior high renamed for 'Mr. CHS' Kitchen: Formal dedication honors longtime coach, teacher, district booster

Cape Girardeau's public school district honored one of its own Friday by formally commemorating Terry W. Kitchen Junior High School in honor of the former Central athlete, longtime coach and athletic director who passed away last year.

Family members, school board members, friends and others listened as Kitchen's wife, Barbara, brother, Paul, and friend, Judge Stephen Limbaugh, spoke at the event.

Terry Kitchen worked almost exclusively in Cape Girardeau Public Schools during his educational tenure of more than 40 years. He graduated from Cape Central High in 1970 and was known as "Mr. CHS." He went on to study at Southeast Missouri State University to receive a bachelor's degree in education and master's degree in administration. He received the Semoball Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, one of many awards received in his lifetime.

Barbara Kitchen shared that there were two times in her husband's career he considered leaving Cape Schools. He received offers from two schools, the first of which he ultimately declined and recommended someone else. He also declined the second after they offered the job to him during the interview. Barbara's voice started to break as she quoted what he had said to her when he decided to decline the position. He said to her, "Barbara, I can't do it. I cannot take off the orange and black and put on colors from another school district. I cannot do it."

She donated his two favorite orange and black possessions to the school, presented by their sons Tatum and Kory Kitchen. The first is a special-ordered orange suit coat with a "CT" on the pocket. "If Terry was here today, he would have on that coat. He loved it," Barabra said. The second is a pair of tiger-striped athletic shoes that he regularly wore, most often to Central football games.

Stephen Limbaugh holds up his 1970 Cape Central High School yearbook, pointing out a picture of Barbara and Terry Kitchen, during his speech at Terry W. Kitchen Junior High School in Cape Girardeau on Friday.Sarah Yenesel ~ sarahy@semissourian.com

During his remarks, Paul Kitchen expressed his thanks to the school and that their parents would have been so proud if they were here today.

"They would have never dreamed that their son would have a building named after him," he said.

Paul proceeded to tell a light-hearted story about visiting his brother in a hospital while he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. Even while Terry Kitchen was being treated, his priority was his work at the junior high, Paul Kitchen said.

"This was not a job to Terry, this was a God calling," Paul said.

As good friends throughout most of their school years, Limbaugh was in the same class as Terry Kitchen throughout their Cape Central education. He shared stories of their time in school and spoke of his friend's character.

Sons of Terry and Barbara Kitchen, Tatum and Kory, hold two of Terry's favorite orange and black possessions that Barbara donated to the school during the commemorative event at Terry W. Kitchen Junior High School in Cape Girardeau on Friday.Sarah Yenesel

"I dare say no one has ever shown more pride in the institution of Central High School or has dedicated himself to the central institution of Central High School more than my friend, Terry Kitchen," Limbaugh said.

Limbaugh concluded that "Terry Kitchen taught a class that was not on the curriculum. He taught the most important class of all. He taught the class in good character. And by that I mean he taught the class in trustworthiness, in respect, in responsibility, in fairness, in caring, in citizenship, in courage. And he taught that good character. He taught that class by his own splendid example. It was an example fueled by his devout Christian faith and is one who's not ever afraid to preach the gospel or to pray out loud."

The first person to propose the renaming of the school was Gary Wren, a lifelong friend. Limbaugh acknowledged him for the idea and pointed him out in the crowd.

Wren said he brought the idea to rename the school to David, Stephen and James Limbaugh to get their help.

"Just naming that sport complex ain't enough, not the way he loved the school," Wren said.

Barbara Kitchen cuts a ribbon outside of Cape Girardeau's junior high school library on Friday afternoon to formally commemorate the renaming of the school to Terry W. Kitchen Junior High School.Sarah Yenesel

According to district superintendent Neil Glass, the school board made a unanimous decision to rename the school. He said renaming the school is one of his proudest moments yet in his Cape schools tenure.

Short remarks were also made by Glass, principal Garett Cook and Pastor Zack Strong, from the Kitchens's church, Christ Church of the Heartland, who blessed the event.

The event concluded with a ribbon cutting provided by Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. Family and friends gathered around as Barbara Kitchen cut the ribbon to mark the dedication.