Leon Topham Guymon

Leon Topham Guymon passed away peacefully on Monday, December 19, 2022, at his home in La Verkin surrounded by family. He was born on April 27, 1935, to Howard Norton Guymon and Geneva Topham Guymon. Dad was the oldest of four children. Grandpa was a sheep herder on Cedar Mountain and Buckhorn Flats. Dad would accompany his father herding sheep in these areas and had many adventures and misadventures while out with the sheep and his dad. Life was hard growing up in Paragonah during the Great Depression, and Dad spent a lot of time fishing and hunting to provide sustenance to his family and others that were struggling to survive. When Dad was 17, he entered military service in the Navy and was assigned to the destroyer USS Gurke DD 783. While on board, he worked in the boiler plant and was part of many offensives and battles at sea during the Korean War. He served from 1953-1956 and was Honorably Discharged after his service. He received medals during these years for the theaters where he served. After leaving the Navy, Dad returned home to Paragonah and found employment at Bryce Canyon Lodge in Bryce Canyon National Park. Dad’s sister, Lois, was working at the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge at that time, and she introduced Dad to Betty Segler and they later fell in love and were married in 1956. After Mom and Dad were married, Dad worked for the Forest Service in the Uintah National Forest fighting fires and building roads for two years. After leaving the Forest Service in 1958, Dad worked for the Civil Service at Hill Air Force Base until he retired in 1987. During these years, he went on many temporary deployments to radar sites across the US during the Cold War, and he later worked at the Base servicing and maintaining the heat plant. Also, during these years, Dad was the caretaker of the Church Farm in West Kaysville, where he was in charge of the feed yard for the cattle that were on the farm. Lovina was born in August 1966, and on January 28, 1967, they were sealed as a family in the St. George Temple for time and all eternity. Three more children followed over the next few years. This farm is where Dad and Mom raised their children, and it was the best place to grow up. We were taught how to work and how to survive in the world. After Uncle Sam passed in 1982, Mom moved us kids to La Verkin to run the family farm. After Dad retired in 1987, he moved down and was soon employed by St. George Steel delivering loads of steel and other projects to sites all over the country and into Canada. After Mom passed in 1998, Dad remarried and that marriage only lasted 13 years. Dad spent his remaining years working on the family farm and loved to be outdoors hunting and fishing whenever the opportunity came along. Dad was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and held many callings over the years helping and serving others. Dad is preceded in death by his parents, sisters Lois Furniss and Joan McClean, and is survived by his brother John M Henrie (Judy), his four children Lovina Hardy, Geneva Richardson, Kelly Guymon and Alice Curtis. Dad has nine grandchildren and several greatgrandchildren. Funeral Services will be held in the La Verkin West Chapel, 70 South 300 West La Verkin, on Friday, January 6, 2023. There will be a viewing from 9:30am to 10:45am. Funeral service will be at 11:00am. Interment will be in the La Verkin City Cemetery following the service. Military Honors will be provided by the Legionnaires at the cemetery. Family and friends are invited to share condolences online at: www.SerenityStG.com. Arrangements and memorial tree planting are under the direction of Serenity Funeral Home, St. George of Southern Utah, 435-986-9100.

Leon Topham Guymon

April 27, 1935 - December 19, 2022