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CLEMMONS — Upon receiving a new fishing rod and reel as a present from the village of Clemmons after 16 years of service, Dep. Marty Luffman suddenly told his wife, Tracy, of a change of plans going into retirement.

“All right honey, the to-do list will have to wait,” he said with a laugh in last Monday night’s meeting in Village Hall. “I’ve got a new agenda.”

Before the council started digging into the business portion, Luffman found himself in the spotlight during a ceremony recognizing his retirement from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Mayor Mike Rogers said that words such as “integrity, community, accountability, excellence and compassion” describe Luffman and that he is the epitome of “to serve and protect.”

He added that Luffman also made a big impression on the students at West Forsyth.

“They respected you,” Rogers said. “During his tenure, Deputy Luffman has made a significant impact on the community, leaving behind a legacy of achievement and touching countless lives with his commitment to keeping the village safe.”

Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough was on hand for the special occasion to honor Luffman and recalled one difficult day in Clemmons in 2020 when deputies were in pursuit of a truck when the driver failed to stop, leading to a chase of about one mile before crashing into another truck at the entrance to the shopping center anchored by Lowes. Deputies approached the vehicle, and shots were fired with the driver being shot and later dying.

“I’ll never forget the day I saw him in Clemmons when we had the incident in front of Chick-fil-A,” Kimbrough said. “I watched him and others, and all of them and how he handled that.”

The sheriff then talked about what Luffman has meant to the sheriff’s office over the years.

“I really appreciate you,” the sheriff said. “Every time I stand in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, I always get chills because I think of men like Marty Luffman who make it possible for the flag to wave. I think about the service that he has given, the sacrifice he has given.”

“The people of this county owe you a debt. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is a better place because of you. May God continue to smile upon you in any endeavors that you choose to take on.”

Deputy Joey Culler, who led off the comments following a small reception before the meeting, said in his time in Clemmons that he has been able to get acquainted with Luffman, “and I would like to say he’s a good friend, a wealth of information and any questions that anyone had, Marty was always quick with a real good answer.”

Culler later joked, “On the positive side of things, most of the drivers in North Carolina can now sigh a little bit easier.” After the meeting, one staffer quipped: “I’m dying to know how many tickets he wrote.”

Those numbers weren’t immediately available, but there’s no doubt what deputies such as Luffman and his colleagues mean to Clemmons.

Mary Cameron, a longtime resident and council member, spoke about the importance of establishing a working relationship with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department.

“I was sitting in the audience years ago when the council voted to hire its first deputy,” Cameron said. “Now I’ve been involved with this Clemmons council for a lot of years, and let me tell you, hiring the sheriff’s deputies to work here in the village is one of the smartest moves all of the councils ever made. You have served us well. You have saved us money. You have become our friends. You have done everything we have asked you, and it has increased our safety and our welfare in this village.”

Culler had the final word regarding Luffman and his going-away gift.

“So since you’re going fishing for the rest of your life or career, hopefully you’ll get good use of this,” Culler said. “This is from your friends in the Village of Clemmons. We’d like to present you with a key to the fishing hole. Thank you, Marty.”