Robert "Bob" Layton,

Services for Robert E. “Bob” Layton, Jr., 86, of Tyler will be held on Monday, June 27, 2011 at 10:00 AM in the chapel of Green Acres Baptist Church with Dr. Paul Powell officiating. Burial will follow at Tyler Memorial Park with Dr. Darryle Dunks officiating under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Mr. Layton passed away on June 24, 2011 in Tyler, due to a brief, final battle with cancer. He was born on January 22, 1925 in Corsicana to Robert E. and Mary Wilson Layton. He was a 1941 graduate of Corsicana High School. Mr. Layton attended Texas A&M College from 1941-1944, where he studied Aeronautical Engineering before joining the United States Navy to serve our country during World War II. In 1945, he graduated from the US Naval Air Technical Training Center in Norman, Oklahoma, and continued on to serve in the Pacific Theater of Operation until 1946, when he received an Honorable Discharge. Mr. Layton returned to Texas A&M College and graduated as a Distinguished Student in May 1947 with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. During his time at Texas A&M, he was a member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Band, the Eternal Aggie Band, Senior Class Officer, and Battalion Commander. On June 7, 1947, he married Margaret Charlotte Marshall, a graduate of Brown University, and they made their home in Tyler. They greatly enjoyed their children, Marsha and Robert, and later their four grandchildren. Mr. Layton, a Christian, was a member of Green Acres Baptist Church the John O. Childs Sunday School Class. He enjoyed playing the trombone in the church orchestra up until February 2011. Mr. Layton also played with the Tyler Big Band for 35 years. Mr. Layton was initially employed by Layton Supply Company until 1950, when he founded the Layton Engineering Company, which he owned for over 40 years. In February 1987, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and later re-appointed by President George Bush, Sr. and began working as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 in Dallas, where he was responsible for directing federal environmental programs in five states. He rose to SES Level 6, the highest senior executive service level. He was appointed to direct a pilot program in Environmental Education at UT-Tyler in 1992-1993. He later became an environmental consultant on many environmental issues. Mr. Layton held life memberships in the American Society of Heating and Air Conditioning Engineers, the East Texas Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers, and the National Society of Professional Engineers. He was appointed by the Governor of Texas to the Texas State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, where he served from 1975-1983, two of those years as Board Chairman, and continued as Consultant to the Board from 1983-1985. He served on the National Council of Engineering Examiners for seven years. Mr. Layton also served as a member of the National Law Enforcement Committee from 1976-1983, where he was chairman in 1981. He served on a committee to write a law enforcement manual, which is now used by the engineering licensing boards in all 50 states. He is currently listed in the International Who’s Who of Professional Entrepreneurs. Mr. Layton was committed to higher education and he proudly served on the Advisory Board of Texas A&M Extension Service, the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Program, where he authored a manual to improve industry relations, and the Advisory Committee to Tyler Junior College for technical training. He held memberships on the Texas A&M Advisory Council, the Development Council for the Texas A&M School of Medicine, and was a current member of the Advisory Council for Texas A&M School of Engineering, Research and Development. Mr. Layton’s love for Tyler was evidenced by his extensive community service. He was a member of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, where he was past vice president and served on and chaired several committees. He was a member and past president of the Tyler Rotary Club and district governor of the Rotary International in 1975-76. Mr. Layton served on the Board of Directors for the East Texas Hospital Foundation, the East Texas Medical Center Hospital, Leadership of Tyler, Mother Frances Hospital, and Good Will Industries of East Texas. He was past chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee, the Appeals Board for Building Codes, and the Airport Advisory Technical Committee for the City of Tyler. He was Chairman Emeritus of the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. Mr. Layton served as a member of the Tyler City Council from 1974-1976. He was elected mayor of Tyler and served from 1975-1976. Mr. Layton was a 50-year member of St. John’s Masonic Lodge, a 50-year York Rite mason, a 50-year Scottish Rite 32nd Degree mason, a charter member of the Sharon Shrine Temple, a proud member of the Sharon Shrine Temple award-winning stage band and a life member of the Flying Shriner’s Association. He also held life memberships in the Texas and National Rifle Associations, the American Legion, the Air Force Association, the American Defense Preparedness Association, the Confederate Air Force, the Lone Star Wing CAF, the Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, as well as memberships in many organizations. Mr. Layton is survived by a loving family including his wife of 64 years, Margaret Marshall Layton; his daughter, Marsha Layton Anderson and husband, Jim Anderson; his son, Robert E. Layton III and wife, Marsha Rigby Layton; grandchildren, Christopher (C.J.) Anderson and wife Amy, Robert Layton IV, Jeremy Anderson, and Le’Anne Layton Southerland and husband Daniel; great-grandchildren, Emma, Camden, Kaiden, and Jack Anderson; one niece, three nephews, and his “Dutch son”, Hans Beunderman. Pallbearers will be Charlie Aber, John Childs, Jim Martin, Mike Witte, Steve Witte, and Chris Witte. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, June 26, 2011 from 6:00-8:00 PM at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Highway, in Tyler. Memorials in honor of Robert E. Layton, Jr. may be made to the Green Acres Baptist Church Orchestra Ministry, 1607 Troup Highway, Tyler, Texas 75701 or the Aggie Band Foundation.

Robert "Bob" Layton,

January 22, 1925 - June 24, 2011