Laynes Delois Kitts

Laynes Delois Kitts, age 91, of Street, Maryland passed away on March 30, 2023 at Gilchrist Hospice in Towson, Maryland. Born in Ceres, Virginia, he was the son of the late Jesse E. and Lola M. (Tickle) Kitts and husband of Minnie Y. (Blevins) Kitts. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, discharged honorably on 02 Sep 1952. He served during the Korean War In addition to his wife, Laynes is survived by his daughter, Juanita Elaine and husband Edward Martin; sons, Terry Layne Kitts and Kevin Wayne Kitts; older brother Milton Faye Kitts and wife Alma, and sister, Wanda Thompson, and a multitude of many nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Laynes was preceded in death by 7 siblings and grandson, Michael Thomas Standiford.

Brothers and Sisters:

Roy Leon Kitts 1924

Milton Faye Kitts 1925

Lloyd Eugene Kitts 1926

Ira Lindburg Kitts 1931

Stellena (NMN) Roe (Kitts) 1934

Lewella (Stellena's twin) deceased at birth 1934

Wanda Elaine Thompson (Kitts)

Nellie Wayne Vaught (Kitts) - Wanda's twin 1940

Hobart Kitts - deceased shortly after birth

Laynes worked hard his whole life long... He was a Veteran of the USAF and served during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in Sep 1952. Laynes worked at Bata Shoe Company next from 1953 to 1963... in the 60 's, he was working part-time for Scarborough's Gulf (gas station).. he next worked for a company called Del-Rail in Delaware, they drove the new Chrysler cars out of the factory and loaded them on the sometimes triple-decker trains, locked them safely into place and readied them for the ride to the different dealerships across the country. This was a very dangerous job... he then took a job with the Post Office in Edgewood, Maryland, where he worked until he retired . Laynes had always been interested in auctions , so all during this time he assisted part-time for Amoss and Freeman Auctioneer Service in Bel Air, MD... he also assisted part-time for Isennock Auction Services... Laynes was considered a "Ringman" monitoring the activity of the room and leverage both the bidder and seller's interests. They use their bodies and voices to create energy in the ring. There's an art to encouraging sales through the designated voice and hand signals that relay information between bidder and auctioneer. He put on a show for the bidders and keep the interest up...he excelled at this using humor...

Laynes was a founding member of Cedar Gun Club on Pool Road in Darlington MD, where he won a lot of turkeys from Turkey Shoots.

Now if all this wasn't enough, he had a lot of extracurricular interests and activities... He coached for the Popular Grove Little League for a number of years.... the family would get together and cook apple butter in huge copper pots and can it. He loved kids and cats and little animals.. Being from the Virginia Hills, he learned to save and raise little animals of all kinds, hawks, raccoons, wild geese, he even had a crow that he taught to talk and they were best friends... he found a tame rat that someone had turned loose at Edgewood Post office and took it home and taught it tricks. The Scarboro Landfill employees call him the "bird man". Whenever they had an injured vulture, usually broken wings, they'd call him and he'd take a blanket, catch them and take them to Baltimore for rehab....

Dad was an unsung hero. He saved at least three people that I know of, one being a small child in Ocean City.. Her father had placed her on his shoulders and was walking way out into the waves, you could tell he wasn't familiar with the ocean.... the next thing you know, a big wave hit the father right in the back, knocking the child into the water. The undertow was sweeping the child right out... All dad saw was the child's little bathing suit bottom under the water... he dove right in and snatched up the child and headed for shore... Dad made sure the child was OK, she was crying, the father was in shock you could tell.. but he said thank you... Dad is the kind of man that will charge head long into danger to help someone.... anyone.... without thought about the consequences to himself... he never wanted notoriety for himself, he just wanted to help... he was a true hero..

Laynes was an avid gardener, it went way beyond a green thumb, he could make anything grow... he had a huge garden every year that would feed a small army... and would give away produce to whoever needed it... He grew the old timey plants also ,like ground cherries which most people don't know about.. these would be made into sweet ground cherry preserves... He would plant a large section of the garden with zinnias, so the butterflies could eat and they did every year.. plus his wife thought they were beautiful (truth be told, he planted them just for her) There will be no garden this year or any more.

Laynes was the strongest man... He'd cut trees and split logs and carry blocks of wood weighing hundreds of pounds, when he was well into his 80's.... he could and would outwork any 5 men of age 50... His energy never ceased to amaze me.

Laynes was a larger than life character, who will live on in our memories, and the world will be lessened for his loss. He always carried gum for kids, he was the most kind and generous person you'd ever want to meet. He brought sunshine into all the lives he touched... there will never be another like him...