Obituary of Betty Jane Layman-Keefe

Betty Jane Layman-Keefe, age 86 passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 5, 2022. Betty’s first love was Larry D. Layman. They were married for 28 years before he passed away in 1983. She later married James L. Keefe, Sr., and was married 33 years before his passing in 2019. She was also preceded in death by her parents, John Lincoln and Beulah Francis Hicks and stepson, Patrick Keefe. Betty is survived by her children, Phillip (son) and wife Sarah Layman, Sarah (daughter) and husband Kim Parrish, Priscilla (daughter) and husband Jerry Vess, David (son) and wife Amy Layman, Heather (daughter) and husband Travis Harding. Stepchildren: Karen Keefe (stepdaughter), Sunday, “Sunny” (stepdaughter) and husband Rick Helstrom, James (stepson) and wife Trudy Keefe, Jr., Thomas Keefe (stepson), and Michael (stepson) and wife Joanna Keefe. She was a devoted grandmother to her 17 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, 10 step-grandchildren, and 10 step-great- grandchildren, Walter (brother) and wife Vaneta Hicks, and Joanne (sister-in-law) and husband Larry Barnett. Betty leaves behind many beloved nephews, nieces, and cousins. Betty was born on February 8, 1935, in Hillsboro, Michigan. Betty graduated high school from Montpelier High School, in Montpelier, OH in 1953. She then went to Spring Arbor College where she graduated with her Associate degree in Spring Arbor, MI in 1955. She continued college and graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Education at Defiance College, in Defiance, OH in 1962, and received her Master’s degree in Education at St. Francis College in Ft. Wayne IN, in 1973. Teaching was her passion in life. She spent 39 years teaching. Her love of reading inspired her to teach children at a young age to read and write. She volunteered to help any child that needed assistance in learning. One of her personal achievements was teaching a young child from Africa to speak and read English. She loved music and would play the piano in her spare time. She was musically talented playing the piano by ear and later learned to read music. She played the accordion as a young child while her mother preached the gospel on the streets as a ministry. She was very proud of her family and loved family gatherings. Her laugh was beautiful and contagious. Betty will be remembered as an amazing woman with the kindest heart. We are grateful and blessed to know she loved us. She will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. Heaven has received a beautiful Angel. The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?amount=x&adobe_mc_sdid=SDID%3D3C564E48084CAA27- 26E74601272C0F6D%7CMCORGID%3D091B467352782E0D0A490D45%40AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1641842196&adobe_mc_ ref=https%3A%2F%2F