Ben Layman

Pastor Ben Layman passed away on Friday, October 3rd, 2014 in his church home. He was born on September 17, 1952 in Franklin County, VA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Mary Layman; and sister, Sheri Layman Fecher. Ben dedicated his life to serving the Lord. After being a dairy farmer for a large part of his life, he returned to school and received his BA degree from Virginia Tech. He completed Training in Ministry courses and was ordained by the Church of the Brethren. He served the Ferrum Church of the Brethren for about 10 years. He was currently serving at the Bethany Church of the Brethren in Farmington, DE. He had a love and close relationship to the people of these congregations. In earlier years, he was a member of Antioch Church of the Brethren where he served on numerous committees and enjoyed serving as youth Sunday School Teacher and Youth Counselor. Pastor Ben had a love for teaching and helping those that were less fortunate. He had a strong desire to help the people of Nicaragua. He made several trips to Nicaragua to help with milk production and crops to help feed the children there. Ben loved sports. He was a life-long Dodgers fan, and learned to root for the Ravens and Orioles with his Delaware family. Ben and his wife Sandra enjoyed their vacations to Cancun, Mexico. He loved talking and meeting people from other areas and other cultures. He is survived by his wife and best friend, Sandra Hall Layman. They were married 42 years. He has two children of which he is so proud; Malinda Jo Layman Durand (husband Paul), Frank Benjamin Layman IV?Benji (wife, Alex); three grandchildren, Lukas Layman, Liam Layman, and Sweet Baby Durand that will enter the world in November. He is also survived by sisters, Jeanette Wright (Charles) and Marilee Taylor, brothers-in-law, Don Fecher (Lynne) and Joe Gann (Frances); and many nieces and nephews. We would like to thank our family at the Bethany Church of the Brethren for allowing Ben to live his dream. We would also like to thank Hospice of Delaware and the many caring physicians who helped Ben through his cancer journey. A memorial service will be conducted at the Bethany Church of the Brethren in Farmington, DE Tuesday night, October 7 at 6:30 pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitation from 5 pm to 8 pm, Friday, October 10, at Flora Funeral Home, Rocky Mount, VA. Service will be conducted at Antioch Church of the Brethren by Bruce Huffman and David Shumate on Saturday, October 11, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Bethany Church of the Brethren, 91 School Street, Farmington, DE 19950.