Billy & Irma Layman

Billy & Irma Layman

Billy Gene Layman and his wife of seventy-one years, Irma Lee Blevins Layman, entered into their eternal rest three years apart, Irma on August 8, 2022, and Billy on November 8, 2025. Childhood sweethearts who married at the tender ages of 17 and 19, they shared a lifetime of steady devotion, faith, and quiet strength—building a home and family whose foundation was love. Their ashes will be laid to rest together in the peaceful churchyard of the small country church in Virginia where Irma grew up, surrounded by generations of her family.

Billy was born on January 16, 1932, in Coeburn, Virginia, to Kenneth C. Layman, Sr. and Eva Dutte Mabry Layman. Irma was born on February 11, 1934, in Green Cove, Virginia, to Commodore Dewey Blevins and Sarah Catherine Lewis Blevins. Life took them far from their childhood homes, eventually settling in New Mexico, but their hearts always remained closely tied to both their families and the values with which they were raised.

Billy served his country faithfully during the Korean War and later as an telecommunications engineer with the National Security Agency, from which he retired. He carried himself with dignity, integrity, and a deep sense of responsibility—traits that shaped every part of his life. Irma devoted her days to creating a warm and loving home as a stay-at-home mother, pouring her time and energy into raising their children and supporting Billy in his career. Her gentle spirit, steady presence, and strength of character were the heart of their home.

Both Billy and Irma were grounded by a strong Christian faith and were active members of their Southern Baptist churches throughout the years. They taught classes, led Bible studies, and lived out their faith consistently and humbly. Billy served as a deacon, and Irma’s quiet wisdom and kindness touched countless lives. Together, their ministry was simply the way they lived.

Their greatest joy was their family. Billy and Irma are survived by their two children, Annette Jean Layman Risley and Roger Eric Layman; five grandchildren; and fourteen great-grandchildren. They were preceded in death by their parents; Billy’s two brothers and one sister; and Irma’s three sisters and two brothers.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Green Cove Missionary Baptist Church, followed by a graveside interment and military honors at 2:00 p.m., where Billy and Irma will be laid to rest.

Though they have stepped beyond this life, the story they wrote together continues—in the family they cherished, in the faith they modeled, and in the love that bound them from their earliest days until they were reunited in eternal rest.

Frost Funeral Home and Cremation Services is honored to serve Billy & Irma Layman.