06/03/2026
When Glenn Layton founded Glenn Layton Homes, he wanted to be a “good” builder. It’s easy to think best practices and en vogue styles would be the focus, but Glenn was in it for the people. To him, a “good” builder was genuine and trustworthy. He built a talented and loyal team, shared advice and mentored peers, and over time, GLH became known for those traits Glenn considered to be the most important when building a home. Whether a client, vendor or employee, Glenn was the guy you could count on.
He got such a thrill out of building custom homes for families. He loved everything about the process. Not just the customers (and yes, he really did love them) but he loved his business partner John Harris and the GLH team, and the extended team of vendors and subcontractors that actually pulled off the build. Within that network, Glenn had a knack for learning about a need someone had or a dream they wanted to fulfill. More times than we can count, he was first in line to help make it happen.
Custom home building is hard work. Glenn made it look easy. For years he had a drafting table in his home, studying every measurement and space to make sure each home was a tailored fit to each family. Over the years, a trend started to form ... clients became friends. Internally, Glenn always had a goal that after moving in, families would invite the GLH team over for a cookout. What better way to celebrate and acknowledge that the people are what make a house, a home.
About the time Glenn received the Northeast Florida Builder’s Association’s Arnold Tritt legacy award for contributions to our industry, Glenn retired from the company after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. After a 6-year battle, Glenn Layton passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 31st, surrounded by his family. In a fitting end, it was always about the people.
Our team, many of whom started working with Glenn before he founded Glenn Layton Homes, are wrestling with sadness that he’s gone and relief that he’s no longer uncomfortable because of his disease. In the confusion of Alzheimer’s, Glenn did not forget about his faith in Jesus Christ. Even when words evaded him, he’d still say, “God is so good.” No disease could force him to forget that. He knew it to be true until his last breath. Against so many worthy legacies he could leave, his faith, which has him healed and whole in Heaven, is inarguably the most important one.
Please join us in sharing a story, memory or photo to celebrate the large life of Glenn Layton. A celebration of life will be held Monday, June 15th at the Church of Eleven22’s San Pablo campus at 2:00 in the afternoon with a reception to follow. Additional information will be distributed here and through the Northeast Florida Builder’s Association.
