memorial service booklet

Celebrating the Life
of
Joyce Guess
July 21, 1935 - June 6, 2017
Service
Saturday, June 17, 2017, 3:00 pm
Central High School Auditorium
1130 West Chestnut Street
Louisville, KY

Obituary
Joyce Stone Guess was born to Blanche Horner and Alexander Stone on the Kalaupapa
leper colony on the Molakai Island in Hawaii on July 21, 1935. She was raised in Honolulu
by her maternal aunt, Rose Horner.
She was born with an innate sense of fairness and equity and had the fiery single minded
spirit that was necessary to bring that sentiment to an unfair and unjust world. At 14 she
became the first female to win the Star Bulletin’s monthly trophy for newspaper delivery.
That same year she was also recognized in the paper as one who could “hold up her end
of whatever is going on, whether it’s work or play”.
A few years later Joyce began to work as a domestic for naval officers on Ford Island. It
was there where she found her passion and purpose as well as her partner. As part of
her duties, she cared for the children of the families for which she worked. There was
such mutual admiration and love that when one family had to leave to go back to the
mainland, both Joyce and their children cried.
Those tears of sadness would eventually turn to tears of Joy when she met her future
husband, Harold Guess on Ford Island in 1953. After a year of courtship they were married
in 1954. In 1955 the newlywed couple returned to Harold’s hometown of Louisville,
Kentucky and the Smoketown neighborhood.
Joyce was a stranger in a strange land and Smoketown would forever be changed upon
her arrival. She and Harold spent the next 56 years in the neighborhood, most of them at
Harold’s childhood home at 926 South Jackson until the house was destroyed by fire in
2011. They raised their five children several grandchildren and great-grandchildren there
and beginning in the 1970’s Joyce began the next phase of her passion and purpose —
babysitting.
Joyce opened her house to whomever needed a loving, caring and disciplined environment
for their children. She provided care for scores of children over the past 40 + years
and was an invaluable resource to parents and a surrogate “meemaw” to their children.
After the fire in 2011, Joyce and Harold moved in with their grandchild Val Johnson, Jr.
and for the last six years she basked in the glow of the love of the people whom she
poured herself into over the course of her life. She was truly blessed to have discovered
her purpose, and passion of caring for children and also her partner in Harold Guess.
She was hospitalized one day after their 63rd wedding anniversary and transitioned one
week later on June 6, 2017 at noon.
Along with Harold she is survived by her five children, Harold, Jr. (Diane), Mary Kenzer
(Antonio), Daniel (Kelley), Chet (Lindsay), Andre (Cheryl), 18 grandchildren and 15 greatgrandchildren,
her sister Betty Paresa and a host of nieces and nephews in Hawaii.

Proverbs 31:10 – 12, 27-28, 31 (KJV)
10
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her
husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do
him good and not evil all the days of her life. 27 She looketh well to the ways of her
household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise up, and call her
blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and
let her own works praise her in the gates.
Order of Service
Musical Selection
Opening Prayer
Scripture Reading
Proverbs 31:10 – 12, 27-28, 31
Acknowledgements
Tributes
Harold Guess, Sr.
Carey Guess, Sr.
Andre Kimo Stone Guess
Duanne Hawkins-Cooper
Paige Jordan
Malia Leilani Gibson
Video Presentation
Musical Selection
Obituary Reading
Closing Prayer