NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Martha K. Layman passed away on November 19, 2016. She was born in New Rochelle, NY on October 6, 1923 to the late Gustave and Martha Tappert Kilthau.
She is survived by her children Andrew Layman and his wife Linda of Bellevue WA., Peter Layman of Stamford, Rosemary and her husband Marc of Paris, France, Katherine Kelley and her husband Robert of Stamford and Richard Layman and his wife Lisa of Arlington, VA, as well as her grandchildren, Dagny Layman, Thomas, Matthieu and Eric Cheylus, Tristan and Troy Kelley and Olivia and Meredith Layman and by her siblings Margaret Fonari, Elisabeth Shepard, Gustave Kilthau and Harold Kilthau.
Besides her parents, Martha was predeceased by her husband of 46 years Ralph E. Layman, Jr. and her sister Caroline Sherry.
Martha graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1940 and graduated Phi Beta Kappa
from New Jersey College for Women: Rutgers University in 1944 with a B.S. in Chemistry.
Subsequently she became employed at American Cyanamid in Stamford where she met her
husband Ralph and many life-long friends.
Martha not only had a life-long intellectual curiosity but also exhibited an artistic flare from an
early age, writing poetry and songs and creating art works. She was always involved in the community, including as a long-time leader of Girl Scout Troop 244 and as an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford (aka “the Fish Church”). She was also a member of the League of Women Voters, Literacy Volunteers, Soundwaters, the Stamford Mineral Society and the Stamford Senior Center.
Her passion for reading, learning, and teaching never ceased. She strove to help others to appreciate the beauty of the natural world and passed that love to those around her.
Some of her favorite activities were singing along to songs her grandchildren would play on the piano, attending her grandchildrens’ performances, and baking traditional German cookies and cakes at Christmas.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Soundwaters, or a charity of one’s choice.
A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bedford St. Stamford, CT at a later date.