William V. Layton's Obituary
ARGENTA – William Vernon Layton, 64, died at 5:00 a.m. on April 22, 2014 at his home in Argenta, IL.
A memorial service to celebrate Bill’s life will be held Friday, April 25, at 4:00 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church located at 407 E. Eldorado St. in Decatur. The family requests that any donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Bill was born November 27, 1949 in Springfield, IL. He was the son of Robert and Verna Duke Layton, who preceded him in death. On May 22, 1971, he married Loretta Elaine Jones. He retired from Norfolk Southern Railroad in January 2010.
Surviving are his wife, Loretta, and his children: William Layton, Jr., of Eastover, NC, Anson (Julie) Layton of Fayetteville, NC, and Chris Layton, of Argenta, IL. Also surviving are siblings Bob (Becky) Layton of Springfield, IL, Paul (Lynette) Layton of Beaumont, TX, Mike Layton of Oreana, IL, and Barb (Larry) Hastings of Maroa, IL, grandchildren Shelby and Jakob Layton, and 9 nieces and nephews.
Bill was a great mechanic, helping people with their “daily drivers” and race-cars over the years, as he loved to both drag race and spectate many forms of racing. He carried a wealth of knowledge on varying subjects, and was a great resource of information and ideas to many. Bill imparted this knowledge and love of cars to his sons, seeing them through many projects and builds ranging from go karts to hot rods. In his short retirement, he enjoyed some great vacations with his family to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon and managed several trips to see his boys and grandchildren in NC. Bill spent the rest of his retirement building his dream garage at his home in Argenta, with the help of family and friends. During his time at Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Bill made many new friends and the nurses always welcomed him, knowing they were certain of a laugh. The family is also thankful for the wonderful and caring nursing staff at St. Mary’s who went above and beyond their call in caring for Bill.
The family of William Vernon Layton is being served by Moran & Goebel Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2801 N. Monroe Street, Decatur, IL. View the on line obituary, share memories, and send condolences to the family at www.moranandgoebel.com.
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