John L. Layman

A strong follower of Jesus, loving husband, father, grandpa, and friend to all, Jack Layman died sweetly at home while with his family, three weeks before his 88th birthday. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, by his parents Charles and Claire Layman, with his sister Claire.

As a youth he joined in minor escapades with friends, throwing tires off overpasses and setting fires to play fireman until a billboard caught on fire and the real firefighters responded. He narrowly escaped a criminal career by declining to join the group in their eventually unsuccessful scheme to burglarize houses. In middle school, he and his friends chose silly answers to questions on a test that they were told wouldn't count on their grades. It turned out to be an IQ test (79 as he later discovered), so he was not expected to be an academic success or go to college, but he was given an athletic scholarship to Westminster College, where he ran track and cross-country, and was on the debate team. The cross-country team often raced Amish horse-and-buggies up a long hill. Jack met his future wife Liz there when she asked him for a date. He accepted, and always joked that it proved he had better taste than she did.

Jack was well known for his sharp wit and sense of humor and was a great joketeller and prankster. Gifts from him were often opened with a bit of trepidation in case a rubber rat, lobster, roach, or snake would spring out. He loved all comic strips, and was an avid Pogo fan. He and Liz knew all the "Songs of the Pogo", and every Layman birthday includes singing the Pogo Birthday Song. He loved music and singing, especially to children, who were often regaled with songs like "Who Put the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder", "Abdul Abulbul Amir", or a favorite Clancy Brothers or Gilbert and Sullivan tune. He had an alter ego as "Kcaj Namyal, headmaster of the 'World's Finest Chocolate Christian School', located in Mustardo, capital of Pretzelgovinia, in the NW corner of SE Europe." He and Liz had a comedy routine that started, "I was born at a very young age, in Philly, to be near my mother. There were a lot of cute babes around. It was such a shock that I was unable to speak for an entire year."

At 27 years old, Jack and Liz, with Leslie and Susan in tow, moved to Kenya, where Sara and Betsy were born. They lived in Eldoret and Nairobi for 10 years and brought the good news of Christ's love to immigrants from India and Pakistan. Their work included clubs and camps for boys and girls and a neighborhood library, and they mentored many young people who became lifelong friends. The years in Kenya were full of adventures. Jack and Liz summited Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro, and travelled to India and the Seychelles by cargo ship. The family regularly vacationed on the Indian Ocean in Malindi, outside of Mombasa, where they enjoyed jumping the waves and snorkeling with the exotic sea life. Jack loved to drive the family through game parks, stopping to watch lions closeup or let baboons climb on the car, chasing ostriches in circles, and occasionally getting charged by an elephant. He also played a lot of basketball, coaching the team at the University of Nairobi and playing for the Consuls team from the US Consulate to beat the British Royal Air Force team.

In 1971, the Laymans returned to Ben Lippen School in Asheville, NC, where Jack served as headmaster for 12 years. They cared for a number of foster children, and adopted Christy, Katie, Johnny, and Jim. Jack was an active member of the Lions Club, and ran in many road races with Liz, and sometimes the kids.

The family moved to Columbia, SC in 1983, where Jack became a professor at Columbia International University, teaching popular courses like The Progress of Redemption, Western Civilization, Hermeneutics, and Philosophy of Education. He also taught in CIU's spiritual and academic program for inmates of local correctional institutions. He served on the board of the Association of Christian Schools International, and spoke frequently at Bible, mission, and educational conferences in the USA and 22 foreign countries. He and Liz loved to travel, and visited twenty other countries along the way. They led numerous college study tours of Europe, where he indulged his compulsion to climb to the top of every bell tower, monument, and hill. For their 50th wedding anniversary, their children, grandchildren, and 88 others contributed to "Liz and Jack--Send Them Back", funding a return trip to Kenya, where they had several serendipitous encounters with old friends and took a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Jack retired at the age of 78, to the delight of his faithful companion, Sam, who spent most of his time as a "service dog" on Jack's lap.

Jack was a a long-time member of Columbia Christian Fellowship, where he was known as "The Minute Man" for his ability to step in as a substitute preacher with no notice, and "The Candy Man" for his weekly candy distribution. More recently he was a member of Capital City Church, where, promoting better health, he became "Jack the Snack Man."

Jack was predeceased by his parents, and sister and brother-in-law Claire and Howard Frazier. He is survived by his wife Liz, and children, Leslie (Eric Larson), Susan, Sara (Justin Leonard), Betsy, Christy (Jay Eager), Katie (Mike Scott), Johnny, and Jim. Also his grandchildren, Kolbe, Ada, Greg, Zack, Thomas, John, Rick, Jazmyn, and Victoria. Other family includes niece Carol (George) Nelson, nephew Howard (Ruth) Frazier & family, nieces Emily Rice (Rick Axtman) & family, Alison Rice (Geoff Conner) & family, nephew Toby Rice, and honorary family members William (Deloris) Driggers, Michelle Dundas, Joshua Zhang and Lily Nie, and Sandra Chanderdat.

We have love and deep appreciation for our dear, faithful, helpful friends: Susan Moffatt, Kay Herbert, Elisabeth Davis, Debbie Moore, Tom Garman, Rich Whiteman, Joey Ketcherside, and Todd and Cecily Hollins, and the many others who supported Jack and his family during the last couple of years.

Donations may be made in the spirit of Matthew 25:35-36 by giving to individuals or groups who help the hungry, the homeless, the sick or wounded, strangers, foreigners, the imprisoned, outcasts, widows and orphans, those deprived of justice, and those in darkness.

An outdoor memorial celebration is planned for Sunday afternoon May. 15, 2022 at Bethel Christian Camp in Gaston, SC.