On the recordJune 3, 2015
Today, I rise to acknowledge and honor the life of a personal friend and Gold Star Father Brent Winn Layton. The beloved father, son, brother, and uncle died unexpectedly at the age of 47 on Saturday, May 23, 2015, in Longmont, Colorado. Brent was born on October 23, 1967, in Berkeley, California, to Shirley Hughes and A. Winn Layton. Although Brent lived in many cities throughout his life, he was a longtime resident of the Escalon area and considered it home. Brent was a very gifted man with many levels. He served as a deputy sheriff in Kern County, California, and Clark County, Arkansas. He also served as a peace officer for the Escalon Police Department. In addition to his commitment to law enforcement, Brent was committed to God. He was a very spiritual man and found great comfort in his faith. Unfortunately, in 2009, Brent became a Gold Star Father when his firstborn son, James, was killed in action in Kunar province, Afghanistan, serving during Operation Enduring Freedom. Since then, Brent's mission in life was to embrace other Gold Star families and help them through the grieving process. Brent had many friends that loved him, and he had a heart full of love for them. His laugh, his sense of humor, and his big bear hugs will be missed forever. In addition, his friends and family admired his honest pride in his Cherokee Nation citizenship and will miss listening to him play guitar.…
