Gary Donelson Guion

Gary Donelson Guion passed away peacefully at his home in Houston, Texas on December 31, 2023 at the age of 47 years old.

Gary was born on October 21, 1976 in Arlington, Texas to Henry Donelson (“Don”) Guion and Christie Anne Ford Guion. He attended grade school in Arlington and graduated high school from Fort Worth Country Day School in 1995. He later received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin in 2002.

As a child, Gary enjoyed traveling with his family to Hawaii, Colorado, California, and the Caribbean, where they enjoyed skiing together, deep sea fishing, and almost any water activity. Most notably, Gary enjoyed sharing his mother’s passion for scuba diving in some of the most remote locations.

Gary had an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age and aspired to grow and succeed in every stage of his life. He started his career at PwC in their Global Risk Management Services in Boston, Massachusetts, and later moved briefly for a project to Detroit, Michigan. Gary had a passion for commercial real estate, which led him to take a job as an associate at HFF in Dallas, Texas. He went on later to become the Founding Principal of a multi-family Investment Fund as well as a commercial construction firm in Dallas, Texas. Gary continued managing real estate investments and moved to Austin, Texas until 2021 when he moved to Houston to be closer to his son, Henry, and where he managed the IT infrastructure of his wife’s law firm.

Gary was an avid lover of all sports, especially football, where he excelled greatly, ultimately leading to numerous Division I college scholarship offers. He also had a passion for anything involving exercise and nutrition, and we often joked that he knew more than the doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers. He was extremely intelligent and had an uncanny ability to track statistics and facts in sports, politics, and history, amongst many other worldly topics which would keep you on your toes at all times. Gary always provided a comprehensive teaching moment on whatever topic was at the forefront of his mind at that time. He found great joy in spending time with his son Henry and taking him on many great adventures–each experience being a unique one that Gary had always thought through.

Gary was physically the strongest person one would ever know, and if you were lucky enough to get a hug from him, you felt his bear-like strength. Gary had an impressive intensity about him that made him extremely passionate and energetic in all aspects of his life. He was keenly persuasive and had the ability to charm a crowd with his impeccable style, confidence, and handsome smile. Gary had the ability to insert humor into even the most complex of circumstances. He will always be remembered as a fierce and loyal protector of those he loved. The family finds comfort knowing that he is now reunited with his mother in Heaven.

He is survived by his wife, Amy Jetel Guion, of Austin, Texas, and his son, Henry Donelson Guion, of Houston, Texas; Father Don Guion, of Arlington, Texas; Brother, David Guion and his wife Marilyn Guion, of Houston, Texas and nephews Ford Guion and Graham Guion. He is preceded in death by his mother, Christie Anne Ford Guion.

Gary was passionate about supporting ALS research after losing his mentor Jim Hilliard in 2021. Donations can be made in Gary’s name to:

Team Hilliard Foundation

702 Cinnabar Court

Westworth Village, TX 76114

www.teamhilliardfoundation.org/donate