Les Layton, 1947-2018

MGA

Les Layton, 70, formerly of St. Paul by way of Little Canada, Minn., passed away January 14 in Florida. An accomplished golfer and avid hockey player, Layton won the club championship at his home course, Dellwood Country Club, and played league hockey well into his 50s.  

During his time as a student at the University of Minnesota, Layton worked for the Sun Current, and later was a successful news reporter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Miami Herald. After returning to the Twin Cities, Layton joined Whitney Worldwide Inc., a St. Paul sales and marketing communications company, serving as its president from 1983 to 2008. 

Warren Rebholz, then executive director, tapped Layton as an elected director of the Minnesota Golf Association in 1982. After the MGA acquired a computer in the mid-1980s, Layton modernized the non-profit’s methods of communicating with its growing membership. 

“Les was instrumental in getting the Minnesota Golfer magazine off the ground,” said Brian Delgado, a former MGA Communications Director, adding, “he was a wonderful writer, editor and mentor.”

Layton helped staff transform the Minnesota Golfer newsletter into a colorful, informative golf magazine which mailed to more than 64,000 MGA members across the state. 

“Les took the job of being an MGA director seriously,” said Guy Green, a former assistant to Rebholz.  

After Layton’s retirement from the MGA board, he continued to stay involved serving on the association’s Junior Committee, Communications Committee and later, on the magazine’s editorial board. 

“He was always productive, always attended meetings but never tried to run the show,” recalled Green. 

There will be a gathering at Mueller Funeral Home in White Bear Lake on Feb. 8, 5-8 p.m., and a funeral service at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi on Feb. 9 at 11 a.m., with a one-hour visitation preceding the service and a luncheon to follow.

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