The Man Behind The Mic
Gary Layton - WB6VVV
I was born on March 19th, 1939, in San Bernardino California. I am a third generation San Bernardinoite. My great grandfather, great uncle, and one other companion rode down from Salt Lake City in the early 19th century and purchased land from the Lugo family. My great grandfather stayed behind and hired workers to lay out the land plots and put in irrigation in for the Mormon settlers. My great uncle and companion went back to Salt Lake City to escort the Mormon pioneers back to the San Bernardino Valley. This was the beginning of the city of San Bernardino.
I attended school in Highgrove and Riverside California. I left school in 1955 and started my own business as an automotive repair shop owner on Baseline street in San Bernardino. I closed the shop in 1957 and went to work with a friend's father running Cycads and other items across the southern border of Texas and Mexico. We also hauled palm trees out of South Texas and brought them to California. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that we probably hauled half the palm trees in Palm Springs in from South Texas. I left that business in 1959 and joined the California Division of Forestry as a firefighter and later as an engineer.
Doyalene and I met while I was stationed at the Hesperia CDF station. I proposed to her on our second date and we were married two months later. (I was never much of a procrastinator) That was 44 years, four children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren ago. We have had a wonderful life together, so that blows all of those whirlwind courtship theories out of the water.
In 1962 I went to work for the Riverside City Fire Department as a fireman.
I left the fire department in 1967 to pursue a career in electronics. I went to work at the local Motorola Service Shop in Riverside as a two-way radio tech. I left Motorola in 1972 and started Layton Electronics. I owned two shops, one in Crestline and one in Hesperia. I also built three of my own repeater sites and owned several conventional 450 MHz and 800 MHz repeaters as well as trunked 800 MHz repeaters. I sold the business in 1985 and retired.
We sold our truck/camper and bought a 31' Coachman fifth wheel and the ford pickup that I still drive to this day. We went full time in this rig for about a year.
We got bored with traveling and returned home. I had always regretted quitting school so I went back to San Bernardino Valley College and Cal State San Bernardino and finished up with a degree in business. (A little late to be of any value except personal self satisfaction)
I went back to work for the company that bought me out as a branch manager for the eastern shops. They had a realignment in 1999 and I left in disgust. I went to work in Lancaster for the County of Los Angeles ISD as a Senior ECT. I remained with the county until my retirement in October of 2002. We have just been drifting around ever since sharing time with our place in California and Arizona and our family.
We have always been avid camping fans spending our honeymoon camping. We bought our first rig in 1978 and have been RV'ing ever since. I started checking into the RV Service net sometime back in the early 80's and became a control operator a couple of years ago. I have been a member of the WBCCI for many years. I was a charter member of the Good Sam Club and am now a charter life member. We have also been Escapees for several years.
Both Doyalene and I acquired our ham tickets right after we got married. We both have the original issue of WB6FLG and WB6VVV calls. Doyalene, and my youngest son Gerry, are Generals. My oldest son, Gary, and I are Extras. We all enjoy the hobby. My youngest daughter, Christine was a Novice but her interest waned and she let it drop.