William Donovan Guyer, 85, passed away May 17, 2013 at his residence in Rincon.
Mr. Guyer was a native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., and was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Alice Grundon Guyer, who passed away Jan. 21, 2006. For 21 years, Franklin, Va., was where Alice and Don raised their family. For the past 35 years, Don resided in Rincon.
He was the son of the late William Earl and Mabel Martin Guyer and was a member of the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield. He was a Navy veteran of World War II and a retired chief of maintenance in the aviation department of Union Camp after 21 years of service, and then worked with Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah for 10 years.
Don (or "Chief") was a passionate, patriotic, loving and giving man whose wife and family were always his number-one focus. When asked for gift ideas, his response was always "just being with my wife and family." He was a man who could fix anything and everything and always did so for not only his family but also for many others. His passion, model trains, led him into a model train restoration business, Whistle, Horn and Bell, that was well-known in the Southeast. He was affiliated with Train Collectors Association and Lionel Collectors Club of America. He loved restoring model trains and the community that came with it.
He possessed a super-strong work ethic that began at the age of 5 when he sold weekly Radio Guide subscriptions for five cents each. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. His love for our country was evidenced by his service in the Navy during WWII and by his contributions to Wounded Warriors. For two years he struggled with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Through many blood transfusions, doctor visits and hospital stays, he was most appreciative to all who cared for him. He was an excellent example of the men from The Greatest Generation who lived his life with love of country and family. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends. "We love you, Daddy!!!!!"
Survivors include two daughters, Becky Guyer Harris and husband Richard of Sedley, Va., and Nancy Guyer Woods and husband Derrick of Pomfret Center, Conn.; one son, Jeff Guyer and wife Tamara of Savannah; two grandchildren, Travis Woods (Emily Baggett) and Morgan W. Fredlund and husband Greg; one sister, Carole G. Miller and husband Ben; and two sisters-in-law, Roxan Guyer and Bonnie Guyer.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield, with Pastor Jim Cavanah officiating. Family will receive friends for fellowship and refreshments after the service in the church fellowship hall, and suggest that memorials be made to Hospice Savannah, P.O. Box 13190, Savannah, GA 31416. Visit www.wrightfuneralhome.org.