Dorothy Marie Layton

Dorothy “Dot” Marie Bryan Layton passed away on September 22, 2026 in Scottsdale, AZ at the age of 84, just one day before her 85th birthday. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, coworker, neighbor, and friend who dedicated her life to loving and nurturing others. She has gone to her forever home in heaven and has been reunited with her husband, Ron, whom she has missed since his passing last September. They were married for 58 years. We take comfort in knowing they are experiencing endless love and beauty together in the magnificent glory of heaven.

Dot was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 23, 1941 to Edward Herbert Bryan and Zelma Aline Minton Bryan. While attending Riverview Gardens High School she lettered on the volleyball team and was a sponsor for the Catholic Youth Council at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church.

Dot is survived by two daughters, Rhonda Onisile and Jennifer (Burke) Evans; five dearly loved grandchildren, Justin, Kyle, Ashley, Nathan, and Amelia; two sisters, Gerry (Charles) Letourneau and Barb (Chuck) Klepfer; and a brother, Ken (Barb) Bryan.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Ron Layton; parents, Ed and Aline Bryan; and sister, Darlene Bryan Hurst.

One of Dot’s gifts was her love for others. She loved with a big heart. First and foremost, she loved Jesus. Life changed and became more fulfilling when she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at the age of 49, seven years after her husband made the same decision. She was given a new life, purpose, and identity through God’s grace. As she read the Bible, Ephesians 2:8-9 became one of her favorite verses, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” She took great delight learning that salvation was a gift, given freely, from God. There was nothing she did to earn it. She admitted she was a sinner, believed Jesus died for her sins, and confessed Jesus as Lord. In return she received forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven. The love of Jesus filled her heart and overflowed to those around her. If you knew Dot, you saw a glimpse of Jesus through her love. After Ron and Dot committed their lives to following Jesus, they recommitted their lives to one another and renewed their wedding vows for their 25th wedding anniversary.

Dot was also blessed with a generous and thoughtful spirit. She enjoyed giving gifts and was known for sending cards to family members and friends for birthdays, holidays, encouragement and special occasions. It gave her great joy to encourage others.

Family was one of the most important things to Dot. She loved her family and cherished time with them. Family gatherings with extended family were big. She enjoyed hosting family backyard parties and going to family reunions, but the family Christmas parties were always a favorite. Giving Christmas ornaments to family members was a tradition she started and continued for years. She loved to pick out ornaments at craft fairs and have them personalized for everyone. Another more recent Christmas tradition, was to have a gingerbread house ready for the grandkids to decorate when they came to visit. Both are special traditions the family treasures today.

Dot worked at General Motors for 25 years before taking early retirement. After retiring, she enjoyed caring for kids in her home for several years. Once Ron retired, they moved to Arkansas to live closer to her sister and brother-in-law. It was a memorable time for her. She enjoyed their beautiful home on a wooded lot, boat rides on the lake, and several girls’ weekends with extended family. After becoming grandparents, they moved to Arizona to be closer to grandchildren. Dot loved life as a grandma. It was one of her most treasured seasons of life. In 2007 she was blessed to live out her dream vacation to Hawaii and even reminisced about the beauty of Hawaii in her final days.

Dot lived a long and full life. Some of her favorite things included baking, sewing, quilting, working on puzzles, solving word searches, listening to music, collecting Precious Moments and other keepsakes to display in her favorite curio cabinet, taking pictures, cheering on the St. Louis Cardinals, shopping, entertaining, decorating for holidays, and going to craft fairs. But above all, spending time with friends and family brought her the greatest joy.

She found a special place in the hearts of many of her caregivers. She has been described as “amazing, loving, loved by everyone, a lovely woman, so sweet.” She was a special lady who loved well and was well loved. We miss her greatly, but are grateful God has blessed us with countless memories to cherish. We find hope in knowing that the joy she is experiencing now far outweighs all the joy she experienced here on Earth.

Some ways you can honor Dot’s life and legacy would be to bake treats to share with a friend or neighbor, encourage someone with a card, invite friends to a craft fair this holiday season, buy a Christmas ornament for someone special, or simply carve out some uninterrupted time to spend with friends and family to make precious memories.