Joyce Guinty

Joyce Nadine Hampton was born in Newton, KS on September 28, 1930, to Gladys and Floyd Hampton. She was the third of four siblings; James, Nettie, and Shot (Sheldon). Floyd was employed by the Santa Fe Railway, so the family was fortunate enough to avoid many of the struggles of the depression. Joyce's earliest memories were of feeding the homeless train hoppers from her family's kitchen window.
Through high school, Joyce's favorite hobby was skating at the roller rink, which is where she met Charlie Guinty. The two dated until Charlie joined the Navy, then continued to write letters through his deployment. Upon his return, the two were married in Newton, on June 30, 1951.
Charlie's career at KG&E took the newlyweds to Arkansas City, KS. Tired of "sitting around doing nothing all day", Joyce decided she needed to get a job and make some friends. From her window in their apartment, Joyce had been watching the daily stream of women walk by on their way to work at the Acton Manufacturing Company. With Charlie's encouragement, she followed them to "go get that job."
Charlie and Joyce welcomed their first baby, Suzan, while living in Ark City. A promotion at KG&E took the couple to Pittsburg, KS where Steve was born. Another promotion took the family to El Dorado, KS, where Teresa joined the family, in the middle of a tornado - which was a favorite story of Joyce's throughout her life. Yet another promotion brought the family back to Ark City, where Scott was born, completing their family.
Joyce filled her days raising her children and relishing in the activities of their childhoods. She taught Sunday School, was a 4H Sewing Leader, and a Cub Scout Den Mom. As the children got older, she took a job serving lunch at the school cafeteria. Charlie and Joyce established their roots in Ark City, through the friends they made at work and the Evening Stars / Shriners.
Weekends and evenings were spent working beside Charlie to build the house they would raise their children in. They bought materials as they could afford them and built room by room until the home was finished. The completion of their family home made the KG&E company newspaper, when the family could move from the basement into their bedrooms above. The two would later sell this home and build a final one, where they lived throughout the remainder of their lives.
As the children got older, Joyce got her real estate license, but a down market led her to take a job at Dillons grocery store. She liked working in the community at Dillons so well, she stayed for 10 years. The extra income allowed them to support their college children and speed up their retirement timeline.
In the early nineties, Charlie and Joyce retired and set out to travel the world. They visited Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, as well as roadtripping all across the continental US and Canada. These trips took them to California to visit Teresa and Dan and their children Jennifer, Kimberly, and Michael; to Oklahoma and Ohio to visit Steve and Duana and their children Chelsea, Roxanne, Ethan, Charlie, and Chance; and to the day to day activities with Suzie and Joe and their children Valerie and Nick in Arkansas City. A cornerstone of all grandchildren visits was watching kids sports, which Joyce loved; a tradition that continued with her great-grandchildren. Originally, these trips were taken in their sedan, but at the turn of this century Joyce and Charlie joined the Model A Club. Along with their youngest son Scott and his partner Judy, they traveled with the Wichita As community to the quirkiest destinations across the midwest.
The Model A Club eclipsed their other social organizations and became the central community for Joyce and Charlie in the second half of their marriage. Joyce enjoyed the camaraderie of the group, communing with the other women, and taking photos. She was especially proud to be one of the only women who could drive a Model A, as Charlie had taught her back in the 40s.
In retirement, Joyce also discovered a new passion which would keep her busy for the second half of her life. On a whim, Joyce and Suzie took a painting class, only to discover Joyce's undeniable talent. Through her life, she painted hundreds of oil paintings and several water colors, selling pieces and winning awards across Kansas and beyond. On multiple occasions she was selected to have her pieces hung in the Kansas State Capital. She leaves a basement full of beautiful pieces, which will remain cherished works for her family.
After Charlie passed in 2018, Joyce dedicated her days to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In her final years, she spent months each year living with Scott and Judy in Kansas, Steve and Duana in Oklahoma, and Dan and Teresa in Texas. In Kansas, she especially enjoyed Sunday dinners at Valerie and Josh's house with great grandchildren Maddox, Allie, and Myles - even better with Uncle Nick in the mix. In Oklahoma, she enjoyed eating everything Chelsea cooked for her and the ever-revolving door of Guinty grandchildren and great grandchildren who visited Steve and Duana, including Owen, Edison, Sara, Nora, and Holly. Visiting Teresa and Dan in Texas, she worked puzzles with Kimmie and got to watch the "skunk cows" in the pasture.
A life well lived, Joyce Nadine (Hampton) Guinty passed away on January 4, 2026. In death she is reunited with her mother, father, twin siblings James and Nettie, husband Charlie, and daughter Suzan. Those of us left behind will remember her sitting on the porch reading, her daily walks, and her determination to make this life what she wanted it to be.
A funeral service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Ark City, on January 9th at 2pm, with visitation at Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home in Ark City, on January 8th 5-7pm.