Mr. Leon Jay Guyette

Leon Jay Guyette, 95, of Orlando, Florida, passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2013. A Memorial Service will be held at the Chapel on the 18th floor in Orlando Lutheran Towers, 300 E. Church Street, at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. The funeral service will be held at Annunciation Catholic Church in Longwood. Details to follow. Leon was born in St. Albans, Vermont on March 2, 1918. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1936. He studied at Burlington Business College (now known as Champlain College) for one year before funds ran out. He continued his accounting studies through LaSalle Correspondence courses while he worked for various auto dealerships. In July, 1941, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 53rd Ordnance Ammunition Company, 62nd Ordnance Battalion, Fifth Army. The unit went to Northern Ireland, England, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy during WWII. He received an Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army in August, 1945 as a Sergeant. Leon married Delma Mayhew on July 9, 1945. He continued his education at Ben Franklin University (now part of George Washington University) earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. In 1959 he received a scholarship to South Eastern University and graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Business Administration – Management Degree. Leon was employed by the U.S. Treasury in the Internal Revenue Service for 36 years. He was an IRS agent in Connecticut and Washington D.C. before joining the Foreign Tax Assistance Staff in 1963. His first assignment was in Santiago, Chile and he was able to bring his family with him on that 2 ½ year assignment. He had to travel alone for the next 18 years on 30 assignments to 18 different countries for the IRS-FTAS, USAID, and OAS with a U.S. government passport and the IMF using a United Nations passport. In Dec. 1977, Leon and Delma moved from Virginia to Longwood, Florida. Leon was a lifelong gardener and could grow anything. He was also actively involved in church affairs at the Church of the Annunciation in Longwood. He and Delma enjoyed playing bridge with the 50’s and Over Club which he helped to organize in 1984. Leon continued his tax assisting for the next 20 years, this time with the elderly working with the AARP, gratis. Leon was a member of the American Legion Green Mountain Post #1 and the Knights of Columbus. In 2010, Leon and Delma moved to Orlando Lutheran Towers due to Leon’s health issues. Leon is survived by his wife Delma; daughters Jane Wiese and her husband Gary of Orlando, Florida, Mary Doss and her husband Erroll of Mechanicsville, Virginia; son John Jay Guyette and his wife Stephanie of Clifton, Virginia; grandsons Jay Wiese and his wife Christine of Gainesville, Florida, Brian Doss and his wife Mary of Alexandria, Virginia; granddaughters Elizabeth Doss Wilkinson and her husband Fred of Canton, Michigan, Diana Wiese Kirklin and her husband Russell of Bossier City, Louisiana; great-granddaughters Amber Grace Kirklin and Lily Ann Doss; great-grandson Samuel James Kirklin; his sister Madeline Roy of Greenville, North Carolina; and numerous nieces and nephews. Leon was preceded in death by his older brother Henri. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Orlando Lutheran Towers Foundation, 300 E. Church Street, Orlando Florida. Arrangements are entrusted to DeGusipe Funeral Home & Crematory, 9001 N. Orlando Avenue, Maitland, Florida 32751. (407) 695-CARE(2273).

Mr. Leon Jay Guyette

March 2, 1918 - April 6, 2013