Laura Martin

Gaffney, SC - - Laura Truluck Martin, age 68, passed away July 14, 2026, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Born Laura Ruth Truluck on February 5, 1958, in Gaffney, South Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Richard Wilson Truluck and Virginia Smith Truluck.

Laura was a teacher in the Cherokee County School District for 29 years, working as the music teacher at Blacksburg Elementary and Blacksburg Primary School in Blacksburg, South Carolina, retiring in 2017. Following her retirement from the CCSD, Laura worked as the music and Bible teacher at Palmetto Christian Academy in Gaffney, South Carolina, retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina, followed by earning her Master of Divinity with Church Music from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina before earning her Master’s plus 30 from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Laura served as minister of music at several churches following her graduation from SBTS, serving as pianist and organist at Parkview Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina, and at Massey Hill Baptist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina where she was also the youth minister, before serving as Minister of Music at Mt. Paran Baptist Church in Blacksburg, South Carolina, St. John’s United Methodist Church in Blacksburg, South Carolina, and Midway Baptist Church in Gaffney, South Carolina, where she retired in 2023. Laura also enjoyed singing in the choir at Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church in Gaffney, South Carolina for their yearly Easter and Christmas programs.

Laura also helped start the Backpack Buddies Program of Cherokee County, a program that started out of Midway Baptist Church that helps feed almost 350 school children at various schools in Cherokee County. Laura also hosted a yearly Veterans Day music program in Blacksburg and then in Gaffney at PCAG, inviting Veterans from all over Cherokee County to attend to be honored for their service, with Laura receiving an honor from VFW Post 4941 in Blacksburg, South Carolina in 2011 for her dedication to veterans and their children.

In addition to her parents, Laura is preceded in death by her sister, Deborah Rukat.

She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Phillip Martin; two children, daughter Bethany Martin Barber and son-in-law Isaac Barber, and son Richard Martin. She is also survived by brother-in-law Joe Rukat, along with sisters-in-law Joanie Martin and Carol Lowry. She also has three nieces and two nephews, with four great-nephews and seven great-nieces.

A memorial service celebrating Laura’s life will be held on July 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Midway Baptist Church in Gaffney, South Carolina officiated by Reverend Ryan Vaughan and Reverend Vernon Craig, with receiving of friends being before the service from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM. Interment will follow the service at Frederick Memorial Gardens. We invite all who knew and loved Laura to join us in honoring her memory.

While the family will accept flowers, we also ask for you to send donations labeled for Backpack Buddies to Midway Baptist Church at 153 Midway Road, Gaffney, SC 29341.

The family will be at their respective homes.

An online guest register is available at www.blakelyfuneralhome.com

                                                                                                         Blakely Funeral Home & Crematory, Gaffney, SC