TOM GUYER M.D.

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IDAHO FALLS, ID -- Thomas Ray Guyer, M.D., 65, of Idaho Falls, died November 7, 2007, at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, surrounded by his family.

Tom (or Tommy, as he was often called by his family as a child) was born September 22, 1942, in El Paso, Texas, to George Stanley Guyer and Mildred Virginia High Guyer. He lived for a few years in Texarkana, Texas, and grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He graduated from Tuscaloosa High School with honors and as a Merit Scholar. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and was a recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship.

Tom graduated from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, then graduated from medical school at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He served his medical residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham. During the Vietnam War he served in the U. S. Navy Medical Corps; in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He served his surgical residency in San Francisco, California.

He married Courtney King in Birmingham, Alabama, and they were later divorced. They made their home in Andalusia, Alabama, where he practiced medicine from 1971 to 1976. In 1976 he moved to Idaho Falls, where he continued his medical practice. He married Alice Kaye Hodges November 4, 1977, in Blackfoot, Idaho. He served as Director of the Emergency Department until 1985; Chief of Staff at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for 1997 and 1998, and later as Medical Director from 2000 until he retired in 2006. He was named Physician of the Year in 2006.

Tom was a husband, son, brother, father, uncle, grandfather and friend. He was a lover of the great outdoors and an avid sportsman. He loved animals great and small, and had a real soft spot in his heart for dogs. He was known for his generosity, his compassion and his humility.

He was a well respected physician, and patients loved his down-to-earth bedside manner. He had a thirst for knowledge and enjoyed reading and learning. He had an infectious sense of humor and enjoyed storytelling with others. He loved a good joke. He was a big dreamer and often took “the road less traveled,” or “the scenic route,” as he liked to call it. He was also one of the few people we knew who wrestled with an orangutan. “Most of all, he loved the fall.”

He was a member of the Baptist Church. He loved the Boy Scouts and donated a cabin to them.

He is survived by his wife, Alice Kaye, children, Jason Guyer, Ashley Guyer (Chris) Gailey, Larson Dean (James) Gafney, Alton (Juliette) Dean, Justin Guyer and Thomas Ray Guyer II, his brothers, Joel (Kathy) Guyer and Don Guyer, six grandchildren, Greyson Poirier, Jessica Dandurand, Lilyth Biehl, Griffin Gailey, Ava Gailey, and Alex Dean. He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Jerry, and two brothers, Michael and Ron.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, November 10, 2007, at Wood Funeral Home, 273 N. Ridge, Idaho Falls, with Cliff Marsden officiating. The family will visit with friends Saturday from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. at Wood Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in his honor may be made to the following organizations, which he supported: The Bonneville Humane Society, P.O. Box 2763, Idaho Falls, ID 83403, The American Cancer Society, 2676 Vista Avenue, Boise, ID 83705, or the Boy Scouts of America, Grand Teton Council, 574 – 4th Street, Idaho Falls, ID 83401.

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Condolences received online:

Bart Brower, M.D.
idadoc@gmail.com
A grand gentleman. I will miss his smile and sweet spirit. God Bless you all.

Anita, Jeff, Jason Purdie
cubermax2@comcast.net
Our hearts go out to the family of "Doc". We are deeply sadden of the passing of such a great person. No words can soothe the passing of a loved one. However the community and certainly us are at a great loss. Doc help us many times if nothing us listen and consoled on many issues. He even took Jason on his very first hunting trip and helped him bag his very first deer. Which is a memory that will stay with Jason forever. Doc's compassion for people and animals was very straight forward and honest. His stories brought joy and laughter to our household at some of our darkest times. Which we are very thankful to have had him as a friend and a doctor. We will surely miss him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Sincerely, Jeff, Jason, Anita Purdie

Burt and Barb [burtandbarb@cableone.net]
Ashley,
We are so sorry to hear about your Father. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Burt and Barbara Garner

Heidi Igarashi
haigarashi@aol.com
Dear Alice Kay and family, I am so saddened to hear of the passing of Tom. He was an Idaho Falls icon. Our most sincere condolences.
Heidi Igarashi

Nick Siepert
nsiepert@gmail.com
Very sorry to hear of the loss of Tom. He will be missed!

Kathi Hayes
kathihayes@hotmail.com
Dear Alice Kaye and family, I will always be grateful to Tom for the wonderful way he treated my boys. He taught them some lifelong values as they worked with him. I know that Adam, Trevor and Ethan will always remember Tom as a kind, good man. You and your children are in our thoughts and prayers.

Rosalie Woodall
woodall3118@msn.com
Dear Alice Kaye and Family,
We are deeply saddened by your loss. Please accept our sincere condolences.
Rosalie & Gene Woodall

Michelle Rice
mikir44@yahoo.com
Many blessings to the family of "Doc"
May the concern and sympathy of those who care help you through this difficult time. He was truly one in a million as a doctor and a friend.
God Bless

Alice Kaye Guyer
Tom was such a brillant and caring individual. He was compassionate, caring and always concerned about his patients. He devoloped a dementia in the last few years of his life and was unable to overcome this disorder. But I can tell you this . . . Tom Guyer was a brillant and caring person. A good listener and being able to use this ability to diagnose . . . he saved many people. I was in awe of his tremendous charisma with others. He was "hit from behind" with several health problems that a man of his special abilities was not able to recognize. He had the ability to reach out and help everyone else but could not be a "Tom Guyer" for himself. I have loved you and will always love you for being the special person that you are and were. You have made a special difference in my life. I will always love you and wish that we could have had more time together..you are my love . . . your wife and partner for life, Alice Kaye

Lila Stanger
rock.lila@verizon.net
I wanted to express my condolence for your loss as a medical community member acknowledging Tom's contribution to SE Idaho, his adopted community. Most importantly as the "father" of the group with whom Darcy shared many special moments. I am sorry for your loss. What a special man: Doctor, husband, friend, father. Just letting you know I am thinking of you from far-away in Oregon. Kaye and Courtney I have always been so amazed by your gracious collaborations of family. Hugs to you!