William L Guy

William Lloyd Guy passed away October 1, 2019. He was 93 years old. He was preceded in death by his loving wife Wilma Barefield Guy who died January 1st, 2004. They were married for 59 years and had two children: Robert Jackson Guy (Daphne) and Deborah Nancy Guy Kornegay (Tuck). Bill was a graduate of Auburn University, then API, with a degree in Architecture. He spent his career with Alabama Power. He was charged with designing the Alabama Power satellite offices, allowing customers statewide the convenience of bill pay in their hometown. Bill retired in the 80’s and devoted his time to Wilma, their homestead, Builder’s for Christ, and traveling the globe. In 1954, Bill and Wilma bought 80 acres in unincorporated Jefferson County (now Irondale) for $15 an acre. They began working on what would be their home for the rest of their life together, moving into the home in October of 1956. They nicknamed this property “Someday.” Little did they know that their “someday” would be the legacy they left their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Bill and Wilma’s children, Bob and Deb, both grew up in this house, each of their grandchildren, Patrick (Brooke), Mary Jane (Jeff and children Anna Beth, James, and Guy), Marla (Jason), lived in it at some point, and Becca (Charles and children Charlie and Huck) now call it home. After his retirement, Bill and Wilma used their RV to travel the United States together. They proudly displayed a map of the US with stickers for each state they had visited. If they didn’t visit all 50 states, they got very close. Part of their travels included annual trips for Builders for Christ, a ministry based out of their home church, Brookwood Baptist. Builders for Christ travels to a different location each year to build a church for a new or growing congregation. Wilma could be found running the kitchen and, until his final trip, Bill was literally climbing the rafters to build the roof or running the tool trailer with a strict hand. On weekends in the fall, the RV would transition to Tiger Tailgate central, traveling to Auburn for each home game. Bill and Wilma were unendingly devoted to Auburn, watching every game they couldn’t attend and proudly wearing their Auburn attire at any possibility. They passed their love for Auburn on to Deb, Marla, and Becca even though Bob, Patrick, and Mary Jane changed sides and became ardent Alabama fans. Bill and Wilma were devoted parents, supporting Bob in his career with the Navy and Deb in her career in gymnastics. Together, with Deb, they open Birmingham WINGS gymnastics school in 1978, which they owned until 1988. Patrick, Mary Jane, Becca, and Marla fondly remember spending summers at “Someday” where Wilma would call Bill home from his sojourns through the property with the loudest dinner bell ever created. Bill instilled in each of his grandchildren his great respect for nature and desire to be a responsible steward of God’s creation. He took them on canoe and raft trips down the Cahaba River (reserving a raft of any trash or recyclables they collected along the way), built a rope swing (which of course he had to test first, which may or may not have resulted in an ER visit, but definitely resulted in a brief humbling), and took them with him to cut trails through the woods (where they may have been helpful but were probably more in the way but he didn’t mind at all). He could often be found in his garage where he sorted recycling for the neighborhood before the city provided it as a service. Much to the moans and dismay of his young grandchildren, who would much rather be climbing the glorious magnolia tree in the yard, Poppie, as he was affectionately known, taught them the importance of using our resources wisely: recycling, composting, and reusing every bit of material you possibly could. Poppie spent his final years relaxing at Lay Lake, trolling his children and grandchildren on Facebook, and sending chain emails to anyone who ever gave him their email address. Ever vivacious, active, and tenacious, he was walking, working in his yard, and enjoying his lake house until his final days. He fiercely loved his family, his country, and Auburn and showed it as beautifully as a deaf, stubborn, nonagenarian could.