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Mary Elizabeth "Lib"
Layne
May 20, 1941 — Sep 5, 2026
Tuesday
Vanderwall Funeral Home
4:00 - 7:00 pm (Eastern time)
Wednesday
Vanderwall Funeral Home
Starts at 2:00 pm (Eastern time)
Wednesday
Rhea Memory Gardens
Mary Elizabeth “Lib" Layne, age 85 of Dayton, passed away Saturday evening, September 5, 2026, at Parkridge Medical Center in Chattanooga. She was born in Petros, TN on May 20, 1941, the daughter of the late James Windell Holden and Viola Lou (Holland) Holden. She was also preceded in death by her son Chris Tallent; her husbands, Larry Doss, Freddy Fisher, Seth Layne and Bill Owens; her six brothers, J.W., Billy, Gene, Benny, Jesse and Howard Holden; and her two sisters, Margaret Raper and Louise Thompson.
Dayton was home to Lib for most of her life, and she filled it with the people and places she loved. She found real comfort in her faith at Faith Baptist Church and treasured the friendships she made with the Dayton Seniors at the Senior Center. After 32 hardworking years, she retired from La-Z-Boy — a chapter she was proud of. She was a die-hard Tennessee Vols fan through and through, cheering them on with her whole heart. And when it was time to relax, there was nothing quite like curling up with her favorite shows: General Hospital, Gunsmoke, and Walker, Texas Ranger.
Lib is survived by her son, Bobby (Cindy) Doss of Dayton, two daughters, Teresa (Joe) Sorrow of Pikeville and Tanya (fiancé Dave Grimshaw) Phillips of Chattanooga, five grandchildren, Holden Doss, Emily Luther, Hailey Tidwell, Nick Thomas and Samantha Owens and four great-grandchildren Macy, Brooke, Parker and Mason. Lib is also survived by her special niece Nancy Poole of Dayton.
Funeral Services for Lib will be held Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 2pm in the funeral home chapel with her pastor, Rev. Stanley Faulkner officiating. She will be laid to rest in Rhea Memory Gardens.
The family is being cared for by the Vanderwall Funeral Home where they will receive friends Tuesday from 4pm until 7pm.
Please share your memories and photos of Lib on her online guest register at www.vanderwallfh.com.
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