Martha Dianne Layton

Martha Dianne Jackson Layton of Terre Haute passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 8, 2021. She was born August 18, 1938 in Kansas City, Missouri to Henryetta Boese Jackson and Don M. Jackson. She attended public schools in Kansas City. After graduation from Southeast High School, she enrolled in DePauw University, where she received a B.A. Degree in Foreign Languages. At DePauw she met her future husband, Donald, and they were married shortly after her graduation in June, 1960. After three years, divided between Bloomington, Indiana and Fort Lee, New Jersey, they moved to Terre Haute when Donald accepted a position at Indiana State University.

Martha devoted her early years in Terre Haute to raising her family, doing volunteer work, and earning a M.S. degree in Foreign Languages from Indiana State University. She began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School in 1985, teaching French and Spanish. In 1993 she moved to Terre Haute North Vigo High School where she also taught French and Spanish. She continued to substitute teach at North following her retirement. At North she served as a representative of NACEL, an organization devoted to arranging international exchange of high school students, and she spent several summers in France chaperoning American exchange students. In addition to these activities, she coached the Terre Haute North Knowledge Masters team, which won several state titles in academic competition.

Martha was an outstanding teacher. In 2003 she was named Indiana French teacher of the year by the American Association of Teachers of French. In the same year she received the prestigious WTHI Golden Apple Award as an outstanding Wabash Valley Teacher.

Martha served her community, which she loved, well. She was a board member of the Hyte Community Center, Wabash Valley March of Dimes, and the friends of Historic Allen Chapel. She was a member of the Terre Haute Symphony League, ISU Faculty Wives Club, Newcomers Club, the Vigo County Retired Teachers’ Association and P.E.O. She also belonged to Tobies, the Tri Deltas Alumni club, and the Crazy Eight Book Club.

Martha is survived by her husband of 60 years, Donald; a son, Dr. Jeffrey Layton (Darla Comer) of Terre Haute; a daughter, Lisa Duncan (Steve) of Carmel, Indiana; a daughter, Kathryn Rose (Daryl) of Terre Haute. Eight grandchildren – the light of Martha’s eye – also survive: Rachel Rose, Michael Rose (Sloan), and Mary Rose; Alex, Jackson (Madeline), and Donald Bryce Duncan (Samantha); Sara Teal (Chuck) and Rebecca Layton. Martha’s brother, Dr. Don Jackson of Prescott, Arizona and her sister, Dr. Janet Andrews of Odessa, Missouri also survive. A special Layton family “adoptee”, Milan Marcus, of Zurich Switzerland, survives.

Martha loved many things in life, in fact she loved life itself. She cherished all animals, large and small and will be missed by Bitsy, Pete, Callie, and Peyton Manning (a cat). She took up golf late in life but became a dedicated player. She was an outstanding bridge player, dating back to her DePauw days and played regularly at the Bridge Center. Maybe above all else, she loved traveling. She made two round-the-world trips, and visited every continent except Antarctica (and that was on the to-do list). She particularly loved France and spent parts of nearly every summer there, and she saw to it that all of her grandchildren had at least one trip to Europe. Her former students now stretch around the world, from the coast of Africa to Europe to Australia. Martha was truly a citizen of the world.

Martha was a beautiful, super intelligent, caring lady. It seems impossible that her loving grace no longer shines among us. But in a way it has not vanished. In the minds and lives of her former students that grace lives on – and so does Martha.

A visitation will be held Thursday, January 14, 2021 from 3 – 6 pm at Callahan & Hughes Funeral Home, 605 South 25 ^th Street in Terre Haute, with burial to follow at Highland Lawn Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Martha’s name to the Vigo County Education Foundation to further the education of foreign language students.