Ronald W. Layton, 87, of Hopkins, died Friday, Feb. 5, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo.
Born May 1, 1933, in Hopkins, he was the son of the late Alford and Katherine Layton. On June 11, 1955, he married the late Julia Anne Miller and they shared 63 years together prior to Julia’s passing in 2018.
Mr. Layton was raised on the family farm and was a lifelong dairy farmer. He played football in high school and still loved keeping up with the Vikings football team, as well as watching the Detroit Lions. He served on the Hoplkins Board of Education in the 1970s.
He liked to stay active by going turkey hunting and playing golf and kept his mind sharp by playing chess. Spending time flying his Piper Colt two-seater airplane was also among his favorite pastimes.
Mr. Layton is survived by his sons, John and Jan Layton, Keith and Janet Layton and Bryan Layton; sister, Dorothy Harrington; 13 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Besides his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Doris Miller Brahlek and Donna Miller.
The family will receive friends at Monterey Center United Methodist Church from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, Feb. 12, at which time a funeral service will begin. Burial will follow in Maplewood Cemetery.
