Dr. Kenneth Laycock served as the Texas Retired Teachers Association’s (TRTA) President from 1998-2000. He was also a founding member and President of the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF). He passed away on Sept. 13, 2017 at the age of 90 after a battle with cancer.
Dr. Laycock was a highly influential and important contributor in TRTA’s history, and his work with and for retirees will not be forgotten. He was a driving force behind the creation of TRTF, and without his efforts, TRTA would likely not have the building in which it currently resides.
His funeral was held on Sept. 23 at the Shamrock Texas Cemetery. A memorial reception will be held in Dallas on Oct. 1 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Edgemere Retirement Community. In lieu of flowers, his family requests memorials be made to the Highland Park Education Foundation to support teachers in the district attended by all five of his grandchildren, the Edgemere Retirement Community Foundation, the American Cancer Society or to the charity of your choice.
As President, Dr. Laycock emphasized increasing TRTA membership, and he helped ensure retired Texas educators would receive the health care and pension benefits related to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) catch-up. The final approval of the fourth part of the CPI catch-up came in 1999 during Dr. Laycock’s presidency.
He was the chairman of the Building Review Committee that finalized the recommendation for the construction of TRTA’s building in downtown Austin. In 1999, the TRTF Board of Trustees began seeking proposals from groups interested in construction of the new TRTA building, now located only few steps from the Texas Capitol.
Dr. Laycock inspired the creation of TRTF. His vision was to create a charitable organization with the sole purpose of working and providing resources for educators. Today, TRTA provides grants and scholarships to educators of the past, present, and future.
TRTA is a better organization thanks to Dr. Laycock’s contributions, and every retiree who is receiving an annuity from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) has benefited from the CPI catch-up.
We are thankful for the countless hours of hard work Dr. Laycock put into working for this organization, and his presence will be greatly missed.
