John "Jack" Copeland Guiley

John "Jack" Copeland Guiley, aged 91, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on April 18, 2024 in Cary, NC. John was born in Flint, Michigan on August 15, 1932 to George M. and Marjorie Guiley.

He grew up attending schools across the country as his father was an active duty member of the US Navy during World War II, but graduated from Ashland High School in Ashland, OH. He attended Case University in Cleveland and graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. John and Sybil Austin (Guiley) were married in October, 1957.

They lived most of their lives in Bay Village, Ohio. While there, John was an active member of Bay Presbyterian Church where he served as a Trustee. Following retirement, they relocated to North Carolina, first in Southern Shores, and then Cary. There, he and Sybil joined Cary Presbyterian church.

He had several culinary specialties: he was a talented man with anything on the grill, and chef extraordinaire for pancakes & bacon for the grandkids. He was also a connoisseur of a well-shaken martini. He loved John D. McDonald novels, and taking his young sons to see James Bond movies, some of their earliest fond memories. Perhaps his biggest fan, besides his wife and children, was his dog Tex, a dog he rescued on a business trip to Houston.

Besides cooking and reading, John loved to be on the water, especially under sail.

John is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sybil Guiley, and their three children: sons David and wife Hope (Manteo, NC), and Douglas and wife Cydny Stevens (Orlando, FL), and by daughter Judith (Guiley) Davenport and husband Michael (Garner, NC). He is also survived by five grandchildren: Molly Simansky (Cary, NC), Haley Melfi (Raleigh, NC), Hannah Davenport (Savannah, GA), Evan Davenport (Daytona, FL), and Grace Guiley (New York, NY).

A service of remembrance of Jack's life will be held at Glenaire Retirement Center, 4000 Glenaire Circle, 10:00 a.m. on May 13, 2024. Memorial contributions can be made to Transitions Hospice at www.transitionslifecare.org or by mailing 250 Hospice Circ. Raleigh, NC 27607.

Brown-Wynne Cary is honored to serve the Guiley family. If you would like to leave a favorite memory or story of Jack or even a message of condolence to his family, you may do so within the "Add a Memory" box located below.