Obituary of Ronald (Ron) Christopher LAYTON

December 24, 1946 – Taber, Alberta
February 25, 2021 – Calgary, Alberta

Ronald Christopher Layton, age 74, of Calgary, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at Calgary, AB, from complications related to Parkinson’s disease.

Ron was born in Taber, AB on December 24th, 1946. His parents, Joan Eileen Layton (nee Smith) and William “Byron” Layton met in England during WWII, where Byron, an anti-aircraft gunner with the Royal Canadian Artillery, convinced Joan to leave the familiarity and bright lights of London behind to join him on a new adventure together under the open skies of southern Alberta, where Laytons have resided for generations.

Born a month early, Ron couldn’t wait to join the family and was a Christmas Eve gift to his parents.  Five years later Wendy was born, joining Ron and his parents in Taber where they remained through their childhood years.  Ron was a happy child and enjoyed family, adventures with friends, cousins and his dog Toby. Ron was respectful and helpful around the house and enjoyed working with his dad, eagerly grabbing the nearest tool to go to work in the garden, the woodshop or on the family car.

On March 17, 1961, along with his mother and sister, Ron made the decision to be baptized and joined his father, becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Throughout his life, Ron served diligently in many capacities in the church including leading the young single adult group, scouting and young men’s leader, ward mission leader, counsellor in the bishopric, Bishop, high councillor, stake young men’s presidency, clerk, physical facilities representative, home teacher and many others. While serving as the nursery leader, responsible for the 18 month-old to 3-year old children of the congregation for two hours each Sunday, he determined that the best way to manage the unruly mob of toddlers was to lie on the floor and let them crawl over and around him, in an effort to tire them out. 

He enjoyed serving in every assignment he received and took great care in ensuring that not only the planning and administrative aspects were handled but that the individuals he served knew that he cared for them and that they were loved.

Ron enjoyed being active and at the age of 15, joined the local air cadet troop. An excellent marksman, Ron earned a cadet scholarship which he used to pursue his dream of obtaining his pilot’s license. It was during his time as an air cadet that Ron first learned the Latin phrase “per ardua ad astra” (through adversity to the stars) - the motto of the Royal Canadian Airforce and a guiding mantra to his life. In addition to flying airplanes, Ron enjoyed being behind the wheel of earth-bound vehicles. He owned a VW bug that required active passenger participation in scraping the ongoing ice formation from the windshield while driving, to compensate for the poor defrost system.  An attentive driving instructor in his father Byron and participating in a car rodeo competition for safe driving laid the groundwork for what would be a lifetime of major accident-free and astonishingly, speeding ticket-free driving.

Ron attended WR Myers High School in Taber and upon graduation, enrolled in the business program at Lethbridge Community College.  Upon completion of that program, Ron moved to Calgary to attend SAIT and study drafting.  After graduating, he started work at Hudson Bay Oil & Gas and soon thereafter, left the drafting industry for the exciting world of public tax accounting with the franchise of EK Williams. Completing his CGA designation and later a CFP designation and enjoying the challenge of tax and retirement planning for his personal and professional clients, Ron found his niche in tax accounting, where he spent the majority of his working career. He would go on to form Layton & Associates and with his partners and staff, established a successful business with both staff and clients who remained loyal to him for decades.

While he enjoyed his friends and dating during his single years, Ron’s linear, analytical mind was no match for the twitterpating impact that his sweetheart Linda had on him. Despite growing up minutes from each other in Barnwell and Taber, AB the pair didn’t meet until their lives and careers took them to Calgary.  All that was needed was a year of dating and an ultimatum from Linda to nudge Ron to take action and they were married for time and eternity on December 28, 1974, in the Cardston Alberta Temple. The newlyweds put down roots together in Calgary where Linda was teaching school and Ron was building his accounting practice, and they decided to start a family. The next decade was one of diapers, noise, laughter, tears, grass stains, dust-ups and food; replete with an all-you-can-eat buffet of ‘busy’ and a healthy side of ‘chaos’ as Ron and Linda became parents to five boys. Jared and Brett joined the family while living in their first house in Dover and following a move to a new house in Temple two years later, Davin and Troy came along with Wade rounding out the starting five’ in 1985.  Sports, church activities, food, music lessons, camping trips, friends, family, more food were among the many elements that were standard fare in the Layton home. Professionally, Linda pressed the 20-year pause button on her teaching career to bravely manage the home and raucous crew, while Ron continued to build his accounting business. Church and community service were steady hallmarks for both Ron and Linda who somehow managed to always find ways to serve those around them despite the demands of raising a large family.

Ron loved the outdoors and appreciated the lessons and structure that the scouting program provided. Early on, he served as a scout leader to the boys in the congregation and community until his own sons were old enough to join the ranks. Backpacking trips, canoeing, hiking, survival skills and outdoor cooking were some of the many highlights of his scouting days. Identifying wildflowers, constellations and overall respect for God’s creations and their beauty were modelled and taught to those who had the good fortune of being around him. One of the lessons that Scouter Ron, (Spike) instilled in his sons and anyone who ventured outside with him, was to “leave things better than they were when you found them”.

When scouting trips and the many family camping expeditions across Alberta, British Columbia and the United States weren’t on the agenda, Ron enjoyed supporting his sons in their sporting activities.  Despite not having played many sports himself as a youth, he could often be found cheering on his boys at a football, basketball or rugby game. Many games took place during the busyness of tax season, yet the boys recall that Ron or Linda and often both of them would somehow manage to make it to seemingly every game. Ron enjoyed the life lessons that sports teach and the car rides to and from games and practices were opportune teaching moments and discussion time.  An avid supporter of youth athletics, Ron’s accounting firm sponsored many of his sons’ teams. When a high school football season was cancelled due to a labour dispute, Ron and a few parents from other schools quickly created a community football league to ensure that the kids could play, organizing insurance, officiating, equipment and playing field needs.  The result was a season saved for 400 young athletes and a thrilling City Championship win for the team that Ron managed.

Whether it was accounting, scouting, church service, home life or any other arena, Ron was the consummate hard-worker and instilled this value to his sons at an early age, providing them with an opportunity to work and earn money by cleaning the offices of his firm. Child labour laws aside, learning to save, to be charitable and to spend frugally were invaluable lessons that were not lost on his young sons. Ron facilitated other opportunities for his boys to develop entrepreneurial skills, including financing the start-up of a small lawn care business, aptly named “The Lawn Boys”.

A humble man at heart, Ron was incredibly proud of his boys for the accomplishments of their youth in athletics, academics, church, music and other areas and truly wanted them to realize their capabilities.  When they would lose focus for a time, Ron had a pep talk at the ready which would often include the subtle reminder to “get with the program”.  However, more than awards and accolades, Ron’s primary focus for his sons was that they have a relationship with God and to become good people.  Nowhere was this more important than in the home and it began with the treatment of their mother and the love of his life, Linda.  Ron was an example of chivalry and respect when it came to Linda, which extended to his mother Joan, sister Wendy, mother-in-law Hazel, his daughters-in-law and to all women.  Holding doors and chairs, removing hats indoors, standing when a woman enters a room; these were some of the acts of respect that Ron taught his boys.  Treating everyone with kindness, looking for opportunities to help, a firm handshake, making eye contact, being generous, serving others, looking on the bright side, and smiling; so many of these small yet impactful acts form part of his legacy that continues to be passed down to his progeny.

When his sons began to marry and start families of their own and “Dad” added the title of “Grandpa” and “Father-in-law”, he embraced these new roles and loved his daughters-in-law and grandchildren dearly. The boys and their families have a strong connection to Ron and Linda and uncommonly all live in Calgary and the surrounding area, which has enabled regular interactions and strong connections for their families with Ron and Linda and with each other. Time with the grandkids was a joy as he and Linda initiated traditions of Sunday dinners, summer vacations, birthday meals, Christmas break hotel & waterslide adventures along with attending the many school plays, concerts and sporting events.  Grandpa gave of his time selflessly and would often be found playing with his grandkids to give tired parents a break and along with Grandma, would facilitate date nights for the parents.

Ron endured health challenges that he kept private until they became more pronounced, not wanting to receive any unwarranted special attention. Diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 1993, Ron continued to work and function normally until the onset of Parkinson’s disease in 2010. The degenerative condition ultimately led to an earlier than anticipated retirement and sale of his accounting business. Daily walks with dear friend Jerome Wigg, stretching regimens, trampolining, boxing and a colorful assortment of pills helped slow the advance of Parkinson’s and kept the leukemia in check. The disease and its encumbrances, however, would not keep Ron from trying to do the things he enjoyed. Pulling water skiers, wakeboarders and squealing tubers behind his boat was a favourite way for “Captain Ron'' to spend a summer day. Though eventually unable to continue riding, Ron and Linda also enjoyed many motorcycle trips through the mountains and to the coast on their Honda Gold Wing, inspired by Ron and Dawna Harker. Ron and Linda continued to make weekly temple service part of their lives for many years, from the opening of the Calgary Temple until his health no longer allowed him to serve.  They also continued to serve in the church - Ron in the Bishop’s Storehouse, preparing food hampers for those in need, and most recently serving together with Linda in the Canada Calgary Mission with responsibilities for mission vehicles and accommodations. Ron and Linda were fortunate to have been able to travel regularly with friends, in particular their travel buddies Jeff and Judy Grunewald with whom they visited parts of Canada, the US, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Western Europe.  A trip to the Holy Land in 1993 stands out as one of Ron and Linda’s favourite travel memories.

While some memories faded with the onset of dementia a few years before his passing, Ron maintained his dry sense of humour and despite declining health and confusion, the occasional timely quip, a patented dad joke or a familiar catchy phrase would serve as a reminder that he was still with us.  Through the last 11 years it became increasingly more challenging to do the things he enjoyed yet although menial, daily tasks such as putting on a shirt were at times an impossibility, and forming a smile was excruciatingly difficult, Ron did not complain.  Instead, he endured to the end of his mortality, reminding us what it means to love, to be patient, to be kind, to have faith, to be gentle, to be grateful, to be happy and to seize the day at hand.

A faithful, protective, loving husband. An attentive and caring father.  Gentle grandfather extraordinaire. Loyal friend. Practical and compassionate listener.  Integrity-filled businessman. Son of God. Ron knew who he was, understood his life’s purpose and we are all better for having known him.

Ron was predeceased by his parents, William “Byron” Layton and Joan Eileen (nee Smith); and is survived by his beloved wife Linda Layton, his sister Wendy Thomas and her children, his five sons, three daughters-in-law, and eighteen grandchildren, consisting of Jared, Ava, Tana, Soren, Ivy and Smith Layton;  Brett & Cora, Isaac, Amelia, Abigail, Caleb, Eden and Jordan Layton; Davin Layton; Troy & Jamie, Christopher, Sydney and Rachel Layton;  Wade & Jamie, Allie, Quinn, Cooper and Jensen Layton.

Those wishing to pay their respects may do so at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY (Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Centre Street North Calgary, AB) on Thursday, March 4, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 

A Private Funeral Service will be held on Friday, March 5, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

There will also be a Public Graveside Service on Friday, March 5, 2021, at Barnwell Cemetery at 3:30 p.m. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed on Ron’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes in honour of Ron Layton may be made directly to the Parkinson Association of Alberta, 120, 6835 Railway Street S.E., Calgary, AB T2H 2V6 Telephone: (403) 243-9901, www.parkinsonalberta.ca.

In living memory of Ronald Layton, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH, CALGARY, AB T2E 2V6, Telephone: 403-276-2296.

Funeral Service Program for Ronald Layton