Dr. Robert William Guynn

Funeral services for Dr. Robert W. Guynn, 80, a well-known Houston psychiatrist, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18, at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, 4525 Bissonnet, in Bellaire, TX. Dr. Guynn died Sunday, Oct. 30, in a Houston hospital, after a three-year battle with cancer.

A native of Streator, Ill., Dr. Guynn graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. degree in pre-med with a special focus on chemistry. He attended the university on a full Alumni Distinguished Scholarship/Honors College.

He earned his MD degree from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he was the recipient of the Denison Research Award. He completed his internship at University Hospitals of Cleveland (Case Western Reserve) and his residency at the Phipps Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

He served in the military with the U.S. Public Health Service, achieving the rank of full surgeon.

In 1973, Dr. Guynn joined the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He was the second member of the newly formed department. He became chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in 1989 and executive director of the Harris County Psychiatric Center the same year. He held both positions until 2007.

For nearly 25 years, Dr. Guynn was actively associated with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), which is responsible for the certification and continuing education of psychiatrists and neurologists on a national basis. He greatly enjoyed working on videos for the continuing education process, which gave him the opportunity to be a producer and director.

He was the co-author of many articles for prestigious medical publications and a sought-after lecturer on a variety of topics, including Mad Cow Disease.

Dr. Guynn was an accomplished artist in several mediums, particularly oil painting. His works were presented in an exhibition on one occasion. He also enjoyed traveling, visiting most of the countries of Europe, Central and South America as well as many in Asia and Africa. A voracious reader, he enjoyed history and genealogy and could trace many of his family lines back to the 17th and 16th centuries. He also derived great enjoyment from gardening, interior decorating and cooking. He enjoyed creating dishes from around the world and spent the better part of many afternoons in the kitchen. He loved classical music, particularly the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel and opera.

Dr. Guynn was preceded in death by his parents, William D. and Helen L. (Dancey) Guynn. He is survived by his brother, Bruce Guynn of Missouri City, TX, and long-time friend, Dulce Veloso of Porto, Portugal. Other survivors include a cousin, Carol Henry of Orland Park, Ill., and numerous friends.

Donations may be made in Dr. Guynn's name to the William D. and Helen L. Guynn Lecture Series on the History of Psychiatry or the William D. and Helen L. Guynn Research and Scholarship Fund, at McGovern Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

The family will receive friends at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 18 at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanbellaire.com for the Guynn family.