Obituary: Jack Layton, 53, Longtime Wakefield Resident, U.S. Army Veteran, and Dedicated Bruins Fan

Jack Layton, a soft-spoken and caring older brother to four siblings and a longtime Wakfield resident, passed away on May 2 at Melrose/Wakefield Hospital from a sudden illness. He was 53. 

His sibling said Layton was a caring brother to them as they were growing up.

Joyce Ebrecht, of Wakefied, remembers how her brother helped raise her, almost as if he was a father due in part to the seven year age gap between the two.

“We were in different times in our lives (growing up),” said Ebrecht. “He was my brother, but he was almost like a caregiver for me.”

Immediately after he graduated from Wakefield High School in 1976, he joined the army and was soon stationed in Europe, getting a chance to see his grandfather’s house in Sweden before returning to the U.S in 1980 and finishing with a rank of Specialist.

In the first few years back in Wakefield, Layton returned to begin a career in computer graphics and started a family, seeing the births of his two sons, Andrew and Benjamin.

Benjamin, now 21 years old, lives in Haverhill while Andrew, now 25, followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the Army as well, rising to the rank of Sergeant and now serving in Kansas.

“(The boys) were really the core of his heart,” said Ebrecht. “Everything that came from Jack really went down to them in a positive way, they were his boys, they meant the world to him more than anything else. I think Jack’s love for the Army was a big influence on Andrew’s decision to join.”

In addition to the love he had for his boys, Layton had a number of other passions such as art and music, outdoor activities such as golfing, fishing and hunting, as well as a lifelong love for the sport of hockey, particularly the Boston Bruins.

In fact, his family said some of his last words were encouragement for his beloved B’s, noting that their strong play in the 3-2 victory they obtained over the Philadelphia Flyers that night was indicative that this year they’d finally once again win the Stanley Cup.

Layton is survived by his sons, Sgt. Andrew J. Layton, USA of Manhattan, KS and Benjamin R. Layton of Haverhill, his mother, Donna (Swanson) Hakey of Wakefield and her late husband Joseph G., siblings Craig Layton and his wife Susan of Tewksbury, Neil Layton and his wife Michele of Athol and Joyce E. Ebrecht of Wakefield. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service was held at the McDonald Funeral Home in Wakefield on May 6.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his honor to Boston Red Sox Run to Home Base Program, P.O. Box 417197 Boston, MA 02241-7197. Donations to the program can also be made online at www.runtohomebase.org.