Robert John Layman (1956 – 2024)
John Layman as born in London, Ontario into an Air Force family that moved to Toronto, Winnipeg, and finally Edmonton. He was engaged in the local music and arts communities before moving to Whitehorse in the mid-1980s. His calligraphy and signage graced many Yukon neighbourhoods and he taught his art for several years through Whitehorse Parks and Recreation. John volunteered for any years with the Frostbite Music Festival and served on the Board.1)
John lived in the Sewell House in Shipyards Park from 1996 to 1998 when it still a busy community. The house had a well that worked for the first few months he lived there. There was very little insulation in the walls and it was very cold unless he kept the wood-burning stove going full blast. John mourned its loss when a misunderstanding caused the City crews to bulldoze the house when they were cleaning up the area in 2002. The Sewell House was listed in the City's heritage registry but was not a designated heritage building.2)
John Layman was posthumously awarded the Yukon Historical & Museums Association History Maker Award in 2023.3)