George Layton

George Layton of Delta passed away January 30, 2025, while on vacation in Tucson, Arizona. He was 81 years old. George was born February 17, 1943, in Carmel, California, to Tony and Charlotte (Wishart) Layton, and grew up on the Monterey Peninsula of California. While in Monterey, he worked as the mechanic for an antique merry-go-round housed in a Cannery Row restaurant and became a licensed ham radio operator. He married Carol (Curfman) Layton on April 22, 1979, and while neither one of them was aware of the fact they got married on Earth Day, the celebration of the created order became a big part of their life together. George and Carol rode motorcycles throughout a large part of the United States, paying special attention to the national parks. Channel Islands was the only park west of the Great Plains they did not visit, and George said that was only because one could not ride a motorcycle to the islands! 

In 1996, Carol and George relocated to Ohio where George worked in a factory, learned the autoharp, and rode his motorcycle around the east while Carol was in graduate school. George and Carol returned to Crescent City, California in 2000 and George picked up his final career, driving a school bus. It was in Crescent City that music became the driving force in his life. Whether he was soloing or playing with the Jefferson State Boondock Band, he embraced music with genuine enthusiasm and became the authority on autoharps both in Crescent City and later on when he and Carol relocated to Delta, in 2015. One of the great joys of his life was the adoption of his daughter, Jo’Ann, in 2015, and becoming a grandfather! 

George is survived by his wife, Carol, of Delta, daughter, Jo’Ann (David) Holcomb of Crescent City, California, sister Charleen (Roger) Oscar of Tacoma, Washington, and grandchildren Vincent and Annabelle Holcomb of Crescent City. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Fred. 

A celebration of George’s life will be held at Delta United Methodist Church on April 5, 2025. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to the charity of choice.