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ROBERT (BOB) KENT GUILFOYLE
Robert (Bob) Kent Guilfoyle passed on into God's care June 3, 2012, after his year long fight with cancer.
His parents James Ed Guilfoyle and Genivieve Louise (Hereford) Guilfoyle were living in Harding, Kan., when he was born in the Old Mercy Hospital on Main Street in Fort Scott, Kan., on June 15, 1952.
Bob attended Mary Queen of Angels School and Fort Scott Junior and Senior High School, graduating in 1970. He then enrolled in the Kansas Automotive School in Wichita, Kan.
Bob found his love for auto mechanics while working for the family Conoco service station.
A year in Wichita alone did not appeal to him so he came home and told his fiancé Barbara Sue Brown, to get a wedding together in 30 days; they were married Aug. 22, 1970, over 41 years ago at Mary Queen of Angels Church.
After graduating in Wichita, they moved to Edwardsville, Kan., to work for Ed Robert's Chevrolet in September 1971.
Bob was drafted into the U.S. Army in April of 1972. The Army trained him for military police duty. Bob was told his scores were too high for the motor pool, so he spent 18 months in the stockade as a correctional specialist in Lawton, Okla. Bob continued doing tune-ups in the drive on his days off.
When he returned from service, he wanted to move home; for him it was Fort Scott. He began working for Tim Reynolds in 1975. In 1976, he relocated to the GMC building on South Main and worked for Adams-Markl Motors, then Markl and Tom Quick. For the last 24 years he had been employed by Ray and David Shepherd at Shepherd Team Motors.
Bob was always ready to help train future mechanics but encouraged his sons to become successful in other fields. When asked his occupation, he would simply answer "mechanic" when in fact he has been ASE certified for 32 of his 40 years.
He took pride in his work, family and home. He would smile and say he liked to garden, but it didn't like him. He also had a smile, kiss and a tease for the grandchildren.
Bob is survived by his wife of the home, three children and nine grandchildren. Daughter Kristine Burdette and husband Bryan and their family, Bryce, Jace, Nathan and Katherine of Pittsburg, Kan.; two sons, Bob Guilfoyle and wife Pam and their sons, Kaleb and Keenan and Tim Guilfoyle and wife Jenny and their family, Addisyn, Holden and Gabriel, all of Fort Scott, Kan.
Also surviving is one sister, Betty Ann Scammell and husband Kenny of Willard, Mo.; one brother, Jim Guilfoyle and wife Debbie of Texas; one uncle, Bernard Guilfoyle and wife Betty of Papillion, Neb., and his mother-in-law Frances Brown of Leavenworth, Kan.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents Ed and Louise Guilfoyle and his father-in-law Ralph Brown.
Father Darrin May will conduct the funeral mass for Bob at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 7, 2012, at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church with burial to follow at St. Michael's Cemetery in Fulton, Kan.
Rosary will be recited Wednesday June 6, 2012, at 7 p.m. with visitation to follow at Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Holden's Hope Fund which benefits Bob and Barbara's grandchild who has been diagnosed with MPS6. To find out more, go to www.holdenshope.com.
Memorial contributions may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall St., P.O. Box 309, Fort Scott, Kan., 66701.
Condolences may be emailed to expressions@konantz-cheney.com.