Mr. Terry Guy

Terry S. Guy (1955–2024)Terry S. Guy, 69, of Cleveland, died at Erlanger Baroness Hospital, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, from medical complications. 

Terry was a hardworking, reliable, kind, humble man with a quiet strength that could be felt in peaceful times, happy times and many trying family health challenges throughout the years. 

Terry attended Bradley Central High School before joining his father, Hoyt Guy; uncle, Arnold Guy; and cousin, Mark Guy, soon after in the roofing business. He was an integral right hand of the family-owned business, Bingham & Guy Roofing, for many years. He related over the years that it was important to him that when he followed his father into the roofing business, it was to insure that his father didn't have to work as hard as Terry had seen him work while he grew up. 

He met the love of his life, Vicky, on a school bus in Bradley County when he was dared by a childhood friend to pinch her behind. Circling each other's orbit for years as next door neighbors, the two were married in 1974 and celebrated fifty years of marriage this year. 

He and Vicky decided to further celebrate their love by welcoming two sons into the world, first with the birth of their son, Dack, and five years and two days later, a second son, Daniel. Along with his wife, his sons were the center of his universe. His unyielding love for his wife and sons was his first and most important priority in life, and he went out of his way to teach his sons how to treat others with dignity and respect.

 When he wasn't working, gardening with his father or on the lawn mower, he enjoyed talking about all kinds of sports with his boys. He grew up playing baseball and basketball locally from a very young age, and he carried a love for sports his whole life. Pro basketball, football, hockey, pro wrestling, golf, croquet, bowling, darts and even sports video games like R.B.I. Baseball and Tecmo Bowl on Nintendo. Sports was a language he could speak lovingly with his sons, whether shooting hoops with them, collecting sports cards, attending baseball and hockey games or most importantly playing catch with them fresh out of his work truck from a long day roofing. 

His encouragement to his sons was ever present, whether reading and collecting comic books and enjoying films of all kinds, but especially in their artistic endeavors including writing, painting and drawing—all of which he dabbled in over the years. 

He cherished spending time with his parents and sisters, including yearly deep sea fishing trips to Destin, visiting Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and celebrating numerous holidays on the river in Reliance, cooking breakfast and lunch there, wading in the waters, catching crawdads and hellbenders and playing card games like Rummy, Shanghai and Crazy 8s. He was accused on more than one time of ”cheating” by holding all the 8s until the end. 

In his latter years, he enjoyed traveling locally with his wife to see historically significant locations and museums, walking trails, attending all kinds of local festivals, taking his mother-in-law on trips to casinos, trying to replicate his father's cooking skills, meticulously strategizing ways to win his fantasy baseball league (which he did, repeatedly) and sharing humorous stories from his time with co-workers. 

Terry placed a high importance in his personal belief in his Savior Jesus Christ. This led him to continually seek a deeper connection with the Holy Spirit, with hope that his pursuit would inspire all around him to do the same. 

He will always be remembered for his playful sense of humor and willingness to see a well thought out family prank to the end—whether it was moving the car to another spot in the parking lot while his wife ran into the store, pushing a co-worker down a hill in a shopping cart or teasing his sisters endlessly growing up.

We’ll always imagine a skeptical scowl or the “Terry Guy look” one more time when presented with something he was unsure of or disapproved of. We couldn’t have asked for a better husband and parent, and we will miss him every day. 

He is preceded in death by his parents, Hoyt and Barbara Guy; sister, Judy Rouser; grandparents, Richard and Frankie Guy and Cletis and Lenora Gates; father and mother-in-law, Junior and Betty Newton; and brothers-in-law, Bobby Ingram, Johnny Ingram, Carl Dill and Joe Godfrey. 

He is survived by his wife, Vicky Guy; sons, Dack (Michelle) Guy and Daniel (Shannon) Guy; grandchildren, Sean Therrell, Ashley Therrell, Raven Weber and Drake Gruver; sisters, Connie Guy and Melody (Randy) Cooley; brother and sister-in-law, Doug (Charlcie) Ingram; and many beloved nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. 

According to his wishes, there will be no services for the deceased.

If you would like to leave a message of condolence or a cherished memory, the obituary will be listed on Poole Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cleveland’s website. In lieu of donations, please enjoy a baseball game with your family. 

Death feels the same in any language, but Terry's impact in this life upon his family, friends and loved ones will reverberate for eternity. Terry was a private person, and some may feel like the lack of a service is a disservice to his memory, but he preferred to continue in death as he did in life—quiet but with a large impact. Just know that if his passing touches you in any way, your life touched him equally, if not more.

He was a “rich man” because of his family-first focus, unbreakable and deeply loving marriage, personal faith and humor for humor's sake. He did everything in life in service of these priorities, giving his all until he couldn't give any more. In the end, his physical body gave in, but because of the emphasis that he placed on these priorities he was enriched and “his bags were packed and waiting beside the front door, ready to go.”