June 22, 1943 – August 28, 2026
Kenneth D. Guymon lived a life filled with hard work, adventure, determination, and a quiet but steadfast love for his family. For more than 40 years, he shared his life with the love of his life, Linda F. Ormond-Guymon, who preceded him in death in March 2021. During his final years, as cancer brought changes to the life he had always known, Ken continued forward in his own way. Before Linda passed, she left him with what the family affectionately called her “Honey-Do List” giving him a few more things to finish before he could join her again.
His early years in Southern Utah. Ken was born in Culver City, California, to Afton V. Gibson-Smith and Deloy Guymon. He had a brother, Johnny, and a sister who passed away in infancy. He grew up in Southern Utah, spending time at his father’s home in Parowan and at his Aunt Iva’s home in Hurricane.
From an early age, Ken learned the value of hard work. He worked on relatives’ ranches throughout the Arizona Strip and helped his grandfather Gibson at the Old Rock Church in Hurricane. Many of his summers were spent cleaning irrigation ditches, fishing at Panguitch Lake, and hunting on Cedar Mountain. These early years helped shape the hardworking, capable, and adventurous man he would become.
After graduating from high school, Ken held several jobs around the area before his uncle encouraged him to join the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). That decision began a career that would span 34½ years, from 1962 to 1965 and again from 1971 to 2004, based out of Cedar City, Utah.
Ken found his place with the Union Pacific Railroad. He enjoyed working along the tracks that stretched from Las Vegas, Nevada, to McCammon, Idaho, and spent nearly 30 years living during the workweek in rail cars outfitted for track crews along the routes where they worked.
In his later years with the railroad, Ken worked in the Salt Lake City Yard. He lived on-site during the workweek, Sunday through Thursday, and served as part of the on-call crew, available around the clock when something happened near the yard.
When he was off duty, Ken rarely sat still. He enjoyed walking around Salt Lake City, working odd jobs as a furniture upholsterer, and taking on just about any repair or fix-it project that caught his interest. On Thursdays, he would make the drive home to Fredonia, Arizona, to enjoy his time away from the railroad.
Throughout his 34½ years with Union Pacific, Ken made many lifelong friends. He maintained those friendships over the years, keeping in touch with people who had become an important part of his life.
Between his railroad years, from 1965 to 1971, Ken embarked on another adventure by serving in the United States Marine Corps. Ken loved telling the story of how he became a Marine. He would describe going to the recruiting station in Cedar City and spending most of the day standing in lines, answering questions, and enduring the examinations and prodding of the physicians. Late that afternoon, while waiting in a hallway, he watched a tall Marine Staff Sergeant walk over to a table piled with everyone’s folders. The sergeant picked up a handful, called out names at random, and Ken’s name was among them.
And just like that, Ken’s next adventure began. He affectionately joked about being a “Hollywood Marine” because he attended boot camp in San Diego. After graduating, he went to Camp Pendleton, where he completed infantry training and attended amphibious tank operator school. There, he learned to operate the M113 amphibious tracked vehicle, maneuvering between the beaches and ships to transport troops and supplies.
Not long afterward, Ken was sent to Vietnam, where he served with a reconnaissance unit in some of the war’s most contested areas of northern South Vietnam, including Quang Tri Province and areas near the Demilitarized Zone. His duties included transporting troops and supplies in his amphibious vehicle, living in soft-sided tents, and routinely participating in foot patrols between his vehicle assignments.
Ken shared stories of the frightening and difficult experiences he endured. During one trip transporting rations and troops, his amphibious vehicle struck a land mine. He recalled that the vehicle’s heavy steel construction helped protect those inside, although the blast lifted the vehicle and damaged some of its components underneath. Despite the incident, he continued the mission to ensure everyone made it back to camp.
Another memory stayed with him throughout his life. After returning to his tent from a shower, Ken was sitting on his cot wearing little more than a towel and his boots when a mortar struck the corner of the tent. The blast threw him and another Marine across the ground. Ken reached for his rifle and, as best he could, ran to help the other Marine reach safety. For his actions in combat, Ken was awarded the Purple Heart.
He spoke of many other days, weeks, and months of frightening and difficult experiences in Vietnam. Some memories were told with humor; others reflected the seriousness of what he and his fellow Marines had endured.
When his unit returned from Vietnam, they spent several weeks at Naval Station Treasure Island in San Francisco for debriefing. Ken would joke that this could be worse than Vietnam at times because they could see the city but were not allowed to leave the base before their flight back to Camp Pendleton. In 1971, Ken concluded his Marine Corps service with an Honorable discharge at the rank of Corporal. He returned to civilian life, as he called it, and went back to the railroad for a few more peaceful adventures.
The Young Lady Who Finally Said Yes. A few years after returning to the Cedar City area, Ken met a young woman attending what was then Southern Utah State College, now Southern Utah University. He asked her out several times, but she repeatedly turned him down. Ken loved telling the kids that part of the story.
Then, one weekend while off from the railroad, Ken joined an older couple he knew on a trip to Boulder, Utah, to help repair a friend’s barn. There, he once again encountered the young woman who had turned him down so many times in Cedar City.
This time, when Ken asked her out, she said yes. Their family always joked that Linda married Ken because he had tools and could build just about anything. And, as it turned out, he did.
Ken built the things Linda needed and dreamed up for their life together, often working on them during his weekends off from the railroad. He constructed outbuildings for storing horse tack, dog houses, bird cages and tools, built horse stalls for the horses Linda brought with her, and welded his own flatbed trailers to haul materials and hay because, in those days, building one was often cheaper than buying one.
What began with a young man asking a young woman out eventually became a love story that lasted more than 40 years. Together, Ken and Linda built a home, a family, and a lifetime of memories.
Their family grew to include their son, Mark Guymon, along with their other children, including Matthew and Megan. Through the years, Ken showed his love less through grand declarations and more through the things he did. If his family needed something, he found a way to provide it, build it, repair it, or work alongside Linda to make it happen.
For more than four decades, Ken and Linda shared adventures throughout the United States. They made lasting friendships with people who joined them on camping trips, horse adventures, numerous dogs and cats that they loved, and family outings. Wherever life took them, Ken was ready to lend a hand, solve a problem, or make something work.
When Linda became the senior class advisor at Fredonia High School, Ken spent nearly 10 years joining the senior class trips to California. He became so familiar with Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain that he practically had the parks memorized. He knew the layouts, had his favorite rides, and looked forward to returning each year.
Ken also treasured traveling with his grandsons. He and Linda took Stoney and Damon McCullough to South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore and explore the many sights along the way. Later, they traveled with their grandson Dominic McConnell to Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain National Park, and other national parks, taking in the remarkable landscapes and experiences those places had to offer.
Ken loved his family dearly, even if he did not always say it aloud. His love was evident in his actions in the things he built, the work he put in, the adventures he supported, and the countless ways he made sure his family had what they needed. For more than 40 years, he stood beside Linda and supported the adventures she wanted to pursue, making a life together that was uniquely their own. In his last few years he started enjoying watching his favorite shows, he had seen every episode of M.A.S.H., Gun Smoke, Star Trek (original and new), Xena Warrior Princess, Wagon Train and Matlock. He also was known for playing Solitaire card games and recommending to people that when they go hiking, camping or travel to always take a deck of cards with them so that when they got lost someone would show up to tell them which card to play next.
Together Again. Ken was a man who worked hard, built things with his own hands, served his country, made lifelong friends, and found adventure in the places life took him. He could tell a good story, fix just about anything, and show his love through quiet acts of devotion. His life was not always easy, but he met it with determination, resourcefulness, humor, and a willingness to keep moving forward.
Kenneth D. Guymon was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Linda; his parents, Afton and Deloy; and his son, Matthew.
He leaves behind his children, Mark and Megan, and his grandsons, Stoney, Damon, and Dominic, along with family and friends who will remember him through the stories he told, the things he built, and the memories they shared.
Now, Ken begins his next adventure with Linda by his side once more, reuniting with the loved ones and animals who went before him. After a lifetime of hard work, long journeys, and looking after everyone else, perhaps it is finally his turn to rest, surrounded by those he loved. Forever together.
Memorial Service: Ken and Linda will be memorialized together at the Southern Utah National Cemetery on October 23, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. (1300 hours). Their ashes will be placed in an above-ground columbarium niche, together as they always belonged. The Family asks that in lieu of Flowers please make a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project. Donate to Veterans | Veterans Charity | WWP
The family extends its sincere gratitude to Mosdell Mortuary for the care, compassion, and assistance provided during this time.
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