Glayda Delores Wilcoxen, age 81, of Winfield, Kansas, passed away Saturday evening, October 15, 2016 at William Newton Hospital.

Glayda was born July 26, 1935 in Syracuse, Kansas, to Earl and Pansy (Zimmerman) Toothaker. Her parents lived in Colorado and she spent her first seven years in Colorado before moving with her family to Pratt, Kansas, for a year and then to a farm north of Cullison, Kansas. She graduated from Cullison High School in 1953. She moved to Winfield to attend Southwestern College and graduated from there in 1957. While at Southwestern she was on the debate and forensics teams.

In 1955, Glayda married Jerry Wilcoxen in Cullison. They lived in Winfield and had four children: Teresa, Roger, Jack and Tom. They ran the Wilcoxen Greenhouse south of Winfield for many years. They later divorced.

Glayda taught language arts and coached debate and forensics at Winfield High School in 1957-1958. She then quit to raise her children. She resumed teaching at Oxford High School in 1980, where she taught language arts, directed plays and coached forensics. She received her Masters Degree in English from Wichita State in 1988.

Glayda was a lifelong volunteer. She taught Sunday School while still in high school and then taught for many years at Grace United Methodist Church. She was a 4-H project and community leader, worked with men at the Winfield Correctional Facility to help them get their GED's, was a foster parent to 3 teenage girls and was active in CASA.

She was a member of First United Methodist Church. She loved gardening, her flowers, reading, playing bridge, quilting, handwork, puzzles, and her family.

In addition to her parents, Glayda was preceded in death by her two brothers, Laurrel and Klenton Toothaker, her son, Jack Wilcoxen, and two great grandchildren, Joel and Henry Armijo.

She is survived by children Teresa Woodward and husband, John of Oxford, KS; Roger Wilcoxen of Winfield, KS; and, Tom Wilcoxen and companion, Angie Jenkins of Pond Creek, OK. Also surviving are grandchildren Molly and husband, Harold Armijo of Colorado Springs, CO; Kerby Harms of Houston, TX; Angeline and husband, Frank Frisch of Blackhawk, CO; Mary and husband, Casey Lee of Bellevue, NE; Thomas Harms and wife, Lauren of Roeland, Park, KS; Samantha Myatt of Oxford, KS; Robyn Myatt of Oxford, KS; and Briana Wilcoxen of Winfield, KS. She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Isaac Armijo; Micah, Jonah, Noah, and Susannah Lee; Clara Frisch; Brilee Stone; and Brayden and Milly Straughn.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, October 22, 2016 at Miles Funeral Service in Winfield. Interment will follow at Pleasant Valley Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday evening, October 21, 2016 from 4 to 8. The family will greet visitors that evening.

A memorial has been established in Glayda's name for the American Diabetes Association. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.