Robert B. Guyot passed away Mon, Jan 13, 2020 in his home at Cordia in Traverse City; he was two weeks short of being 95 years old.
He was born to the late Muriel Guyot Long and Robert M Guyot, in Louisville, KY, on Feb 1, 1925. He spent his winters in Louisville and summers in northern Michigan until age 14, when his family moved here permanently.
He was a talented musician who played in the US Army Air Corps band in Atlantic City, but being a young man looking for adventure, he requested to go overseas and served in WWII's CBI Theater in India. He was proud to have served his country.
He came back from the war and married Harriett Jean Belcher and created a family and a career. They were married 70 years and raised three children in Traverse City.
Bob built his insurance agency from the bottom up, with the idea that service was the most important word in his business name - Guyot Insurance Service. Being an entrepreneur at heart, he also opened a handful of other businesses including a travel agency, which enabled him to continue his interest in exploring other cultures. Along with his business endeavors he was active for many years with the Masonic Temple and was a long-standing member of the Elks.
He loved living on East Bay - puttering around the beach by day, gazing at the lights by night and spending time at his cottage on Long Lake. He and his wife, Harriett, were both very generous and enjoyed sharing their homes and beaches with many relatives from near and far.
They loved spending time with their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. They always made certain there were fun things for everyone to do at their house and cottage; games, paddle boards, boats, etc. Bob always loved living on the water and wanted other people to experience it too.
He loved to read books and imparted that love to his children. In his later years, when he became vision impaired, he spent most of his waking hours listening to books on tape. He was always interested in history and had a remarkable memory for historical names, dates, and events, even well into his 90s.
Bob was preceded in death by his loving wife, Harriett (Belcher); and his grandson Bobby Guyot IV.
He is survived by his son, Robert (Kristen) B. Guyot III, of Traverse City; daughters, Deborah (Mark) Freeman, of Worcester, MA and Cynthia (Jeffrey) Smith of Yarmouth Port, MA; also his grandchildren, Caleb, Hilary, Zoe, Brenna, Justine, Ashley, Travis; and his great grandchildren, Rowin, Katahdin, Penelope, and Shaun; as well as many nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to thank Munson Healthcare Hospice and especially dad's caregivers, Ramona Pintek and Joni Grigg and the entire staff of Cordia, who provided unbelievable support and caring during his final few weeks.
Graveside services will take place at a later date.
The family is being cared for by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Cremation Services.
