Bradley faculty and staff members are mourning the loss of administrative support Karla Layne, who passed on Feb. 10.
The day after her passing, University Communications issued an email statement expressing the administration’s grief and announcing plans for on-campus Bradley flags to fly at half-staff for three days in her memory.
Layne was first employed at Bradley in 1991 and worked to provide administrative support around the Foster College of Business, with a focus on the departments of economics, marketing and finance. She was honored in 2018 as an inaugural winner of the Staff Excellence Award.
Several colleagues of Layne from the college shared stories and sentiments about her with The Scout.
Joshua Lewer, chair of the economics department, stated the news of Layne’s passing was unexpected and tough for the department. He worked alongside Layne for almost 15 years since he moved to Peoria in 2007, and described her as a dedicated and productive “go-to person.”
“Anyone could go to Karla for help, assistance and advice,” Lewer said. “She would drop what she was doing and focus on your issue. She was inspirational in that way.”
Lisa Parrish, an adjunct faculty instructor for the Foster College, formed a friendship with Layne in 2015 after she was placed in the economics department to do work for her master’s degree. Layne’s office was close to that of Parrish’s supervisor, economics professor Kevin O’Brien. She looked back on Layne’s personality as one with strong characteristics, defined as much by professionalism as the Happy Meal toys or candy jar on her desk.
“She was serious, professional and at the same time, funny,” Parrish said. “She was polite and pleasant, but not fake.”
Affiliate instructor Joseph Albright also spoke highly of Layne’s character.
“Karla was very sweet and always greeted me with a smile,” Albright said. “I would often go to her desk just to chat about things in general. She appreciated my sense of humor.”
Those who have spoken on Layne since her passing have connected the personality she brought to the Hilltop and the work she accomplished.
“Karla was a wonderful administrative assistant,” the statement said. “With over 30 years of experience, she touched every academic department within the Foster College at one time or another.”
O’Brien knew Layne through the economics department for 30 years and saw her work in additional positions as a department secretary and a handler of student records. He credits Layne’s thorough university expertise with making his job easier.
“Karla had amazing institutional knowledge about Bradley,” O’Brien said. “She always knew the right person to call if there was a problem. She knew all the different administrative processes and how they worked. I’m not sure how many people with that much expertise are at Bradley. Karla was one of those people who kept Bradley working smoothly.”
Albright credited Layne with aiding him through the start of his part-time work teaching business courses at Bradley in 2016.
“Karla very patiently showed me what I needed to know from an administrative perspective,” Albright said.
Parrish also had fond words for Layne’s knowledge of the university, calling her an “institutional legend” and “the ringmaster” of her work environment. Parrish further stated that her skill earned the respect of not just fellow faculty, but every Bradley community member she came in contact with.
“I doubt any admin anywhere else was half as good as Karla was,” Parrish said. “The students knew her and trusted her, and so did all the staff and faculty. … She’s supported each and every one of us. She’s trained so many people, she’s covered for people, she’s picked up the slack and she’s always gone above and beyond.”
She additionally credited her current position at Bradley to Layne helping her after she gave birth to her first child and graduated with her master’s.
“[I] was home with my little one for a year,” Parrish said. “I get a call from Kevin asking if I want to teach an economics class at Bradley. Turns out they needed an instructor and Karla suggested me.”
With the impact Layne had on her colleagues and environment, some looked back on the ways they paid her back as a co-worker and friend.
“Karla loved classic rock,” Lewer said. “Dr. Mark Jolhke from the marketing department got her tickets to see ZZ Top at the Civic Center. We wouldn’t be outdone, so we all chipped in and got her front-and-center for KISS. The next day, she came in with KISS merch and said her hair was blown back.”
Parrish stated that upon hearing the news of Layne’s passing, her heart broke first for Layne’s family, then for the role she played in her own family and finally for the community she supported.
“I thought of how Bradley will suffer without her,” Parrish said. “It’s just so sad, it’s hard to process. She was such an incredible woman, and she was my friend. She made my life better. … Even though she’s been working for the entire business college recently, she’ll forever be the heart of our department.”
In light of the news, the general consensus around Karla Layne is one of respect and remembrance, with all interviewed professors summarizing her as an example to follow and presence to be missed.
“We can all learn from [her] gracious attitude of putting others first,” Lewer said.
“I’ve loved teaching at Bradley, and I owe it all to Karla,” Parrish said. “There really is nothing bad to say about her, and no one worked harder.”
