Obituary of Martha Ellen Jaynes

UPDATE: Memorial Service for Marty will be held August 7, 2021 at 11 am, at the LaFayette Alliance Church. 

Martha Ellen Jaynes (nee Johnson), 73, of Nedrow, closed her earthly journey and went to be the Lord Friday November 27th, 2020. She looks forward to the great journey beyond and to seeing her late husband John (Jack) Jaynes.

Marty was born in November 1947, in Syracuse, NY to the late Milton and Naomi Johnson. She grew up on the south side of Syracuse the second oldest of four. She was an avid reader throughout her life and dedicated to her studies. But she found time for other pursuits even winning a city target shooting championship, which she put to good use shocking her son, and his friends, shooting cans off the treehouse when the boys said “the pellet gun didn’t shoot right”.

She graduated from Onondaga Valley Academy in 1965 and later received her teaching degree from SUNY Oswego. She was married for 29 years to her High School sweet heart, Jack Jaynes. They spent time in California while Jack was in the Airforce and returned to Syracuse to start and raise their family.

After being a Mother and Homemaker for over a decade she went back to work teaching as a Kindergarten teacher at Rockwell Elementary School, where she also served as the Teacher’s Union President, until her retirement in 2011. She was a quiet philanthropist, during her entire tenure as the Union President she never took a salary, and instead donated the extra pay to a children’s scholarship. She was a generous, selfless, fun loving and tenacious teacher who fought for children’s and teacher’s rights. She was beloved by her co-workers for her tireless help, advice and representation of Teacher’s and their importance in society. Marty accepted every student for who they were and deeply understood that she was every child’s first exposure to school, teachers and formal education, which drove her to inspire each student to love learning. She taught two generations of students and helped provide teachers with a noble profession that would support their families and their lives.

Marty lived a life of Faith, and she and Jack brought their children up to know the Lord. The Jaynes family was one of the founding members of the Lafayette Alliance Church. They created a wonderful community at Lafayette Alliance and taught their children about the Lord, Love and Community. In the first Bible’s that they gave to their children they wrote the same verse, Proverbs 22:6; Bring up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it (NIV). She attended Lafayette Alliance Church and served it’s community until the day she passed.

Marty lived a life of service. After her retirement from teaching she volunteered and continued to help others. She supported orphans and even took a missions trip to Russia and Ukraine to help support their efforts for the children orphaned during the wars. She volunteered at the Lafayette Outreach center supporting their efforts to feed, and help those in need, in the greater Lafayette area. Even in retirement she focused her efforts on helping children and families at home and abroad, because she knew the value of a child’s life and the impact, and responsibility, that people can, and should have, in the place they live. She loved her children and grandchildren and was always a-glow telling friends about the journeys of their lives, their accomplishments and going-ons. She loved spending time with her sister Marion and their many trips together.

Marty was known for her faith, service to others, kindness, scholarship and her integrity. She will be remembered as much for her generosity as she will for her fierce love and devotion to God, Family, Friends & co-workers. While she was often sad to have to live life the last 22 years without her beloved Jack, she found meaning and purpose in her Family, her Friends and her Community. You have all been a part of the fabric our lives and you have always been there for Marty in the good times and the bad. This is her legacy, for all of us; she trained us up in the way we should go, and as we grow old we shall not depart from it.

Marty was preceded in death by her Husband John (Jack) Robert Jaynes, her parents, and her brother Milton. She is survived by her son Erik and his wife Jill Jaynes, son Steven Jaynes, daughter Susan and husband Steven Sofranko, sister Marion and husband Richard Lindsley, and brother Mark and wife Debbie Johnson; grandchildren Kallie, Kenna and Jack.

Services will be held at a later date, when we can all safely honor and celebrate Marty’s life together. In lieu of flowers , the family requests memorials be made to the Lafayette Alliance Church: 6069 US-20, Lafayette, NY 13084, or the Lafayette Outreach Inc,: 6104 US-20, Lafayette, NY 13084. Please look to the Facebook pages of Susan Sofranko, Erik Jaynes, or Steve Jaynes for information regarding the live celebration of Marty’s life in 2021.

Online condolences for Marty's family may be left on the funeral home website.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Martha Jaynes, please visit Tribute Store