David Oliver Layne

Services for David Oliver Layne, 75, of Tyler will be held on Thursday, August 17, 2023, at Stewart Family Funeral Home with Deacon Jim Boland officiating. Burial will follow at Noonday Cemetery in Noonday under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mr. Layne passed away Thursday, August 10, 2023, in Tyler. He was born June 27, 1948, in Tyler to James Oliver Layne and Ruth Alma Grant Layne. David was a 1966 graduate of John Tyler High School. Following graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army where he was trained as a Combat Tracker at the BJWS in Ulu Tiram, Malaysia. He was a tracker dog handler and a tactical team member assigned to the Combat Tracker Team (CTT) No. 2 (Provisional) attached to HHC 2nd BN, 27th Infantry, and 25th Infantry Division, assigned to Cu Chi South Vietnam. Following his deployment, he met the love of his life, Barbara Ann Bohr, to whom he was married for 52 amazing years. Together they had two children, Jason and Jessica. In addition, he gained a daughter-in-law, Sheila and a son-in-law, Tommy who he also considered his children. He was a loving and devoted husband and a kind, supportive, and very proud father. David loved his family more than anything and the pride he felt for them was immeasurable. People who met David, rarely forgot him. He was a gentle, kind, caring man who everyone loved. He was a quiet soul with a tough exterior and his eyes could tell an entire story without him ever uttering a word. There was never a time when he failed to squeeze a joke into conversation, even in his last days. His quick wit and dry sense of humor kept everyone around him laughing…and some guessing as to whether he was serious. He loved animals especially his dog, Heidi. He was a deep thinker and loved learning and reading. He loved studying history. Later in life he found a love for woodworking and began making walking canes and wooden dough bowls. Anyone who visited him was likely to be gifted one of his pieces. He was also a skilled heavy equipment operator. He could do anything with a tractor. He was a hero and friend to all who knew him. In 2005 and 2006 David was a SME (Subject Matter Expert) for the United States Marine Corps Combat Tracker Team Initiative. This was the first time since Vietnam that the specialty had been applied to the current military. The Marines that David trained were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. They accomplished the mission and returned safely, a tribute to the excellence of David’s instruction. He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Ruth Layne. He is survived by his loving family including his wife of 52 years, Barbara; son, Jason Layne and wife Sheila of Tyler; daughter, Jessica Neugebauer and husband Tommy of Tyler; grandchildren, Kamden Layne, Maddox Layne, Mark David Neugebauer, and John Thomas Neugebauer; brothers, Lonnie Layne of Meridian, Dale Layne and wife Patricia of Austin, Mike Layne and wife Teresa of Lindale; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Pallbearers will be: Jason Layne, Tommy Neugebauer, Lonnie Layne, Dale Layne, Mike Layne, Ronnie Morris, Jimmy Boland, John Layne, and Jason Lee Layne. Honorary Pallbearers will be Maddox Layne, Mark David Neugebauer, and John Thomas Neugebauer Visitation is scheduled from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler.

David Oliver Layne

June 27, 1948 - August 10, 2023