James Christopher Layton

James Christopher Layton
February 4, 1944 – January 17, 2026
James Christopher Layton, known affectionately as “Pappy” by family and close friends, was
born February 4, 1944, at St. Joseph’s Hospital to Glenn and Mary Layton. The second of five
children, Chris spent nearly his entire life in Southern California, most notably in the Santa Ana
and Tustin areas that he proudly called home.
Chris was a 1962 graduate of Mater Dei High School and went on to attend Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo. He built a career in sales before joining his family at Layton Soft Water, Inc. where he
worked his way up through the company and ultimately became its President. After the family
sold the business in 1997, he continued working as a consultant in the water industry until 2011
when he joined Hall’s Culligan, overseeing special projects. He thrived in his work and took great
pride in mentoring younger colleagues, navigating legislative challenges within the water
improvement industry, and forming lifelong friendships along the way.
In 1963, Chris married Maureen Crowley. Together they raised five children and shared nearly
43 years of marriage before Maureen’s passing in 2006. In 2010, Chris married Wendy Smith
(Wigle), also a graduate of Mater Dei High School, class of 1962.
Chris was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, a brother-in-law, and his sons
Matthew in 2020 and Bryant in 2022. He is survived by his wife Wendy; his daughters Amy
Walker (Joe) of Aurora, Missouri; Kristi Pihl (Steve) of Costa Mesa, California; and Megan Layton
of Cincinnati, OH; as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who brought him
great joy.
Chris will be remembered for his strong work ethic, sense of humor and ability to tell a story. His
legacy lives on in the many lives he touched as a husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and
friend.
Funeral Mass for Chris will be held Friday, February 6, 2026 at 10:00am at Holy Family Cathedral
in Orange. Internment will be immediately following at Santa Ana Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Memory of Chris Layton to the Water Quality
Research Foundation @ https://www.wqrf.org/donate.html or Mater Dei High School Ring of
Honor @ kkelly@materdei.org

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