Betty Guyer

Betty Lou (Macklin) Guyer, passed away peacefully at her home on September 24, 2025. Services will be October 4 at Oakwood Cemetery, starting with visitation at 9:30 am, followed by burial at 10:00 am, with Sean Maguire officiating.

Betty was born March 6, 1929, to Leroy Richard Macklin and Ranghild Volberg (Thompson) Macklin in Galveston, Texas. She graduated from Ball High School in 1946. She could have graduated a year earlier but decided to stay another year to “keep an eye on him” her high school sweetheart. After high school, she worked at Galveston Library. She had dreams of becoming a doctor, but instead chose to marry her long-time neighbor and high school sweetheart, Irvin Weems Guyer on July 16,1948, and was happily married for 63 years. They moved to Austin in 1959, and then to Waco in 1965. During this time they had three children, whom she loved with all her heart.

Each summer, the family took a two week camping vacation, where Betty prepared three meals a day on a Coleman stove in the rain, wind, cold, and heat. She had a lot of patience. Later they took annual snow skiing trips, even taking her two grandchildren at 3 years old.

After her children got older, she went to work at Lakeshore Baptist pre-school where she stayed until retiring to take care of her grandbabies while their parents were at work. She obtained her PADI scuba diving certification in 1985, and they took many trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Jamaica, often traveling with her daughter Barbara and her husband Max. She enjoyed picking on her son-in-law, Brian, about anything she could, but they just had fun picking at each other. When she introduced her daughter Karen, she would always say, “she’s a nurse!”

At age 74, she began flying with her husband, in a homemade RV6 airplane, which her husband built at their home. They made many trips, some with their friends in Chapter 59 of the E.A.A. She also enjoyed road trips with Irvin, sister-in-law Gwen, and Gwen’s husband Neil Goodman.

At age 84, she became a great grandmother. You could often find her crawling on the floor chasing them. She loved to see them play in her pool, and her eyes always lit up when she saw them.

Betty enjoyed crocheting, reading (she read the Bible at least 3 times in its entirety), gardening, bird watching (especially hummingbirds), and all things nature. She always said fall was her favorite season because she loved the colors.

Words cannot express what a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and nana she was. The void she leaves in our lives will never be filled.

She is preceded in death by her parents Leroy and Ranghild Macklin, her husband Irvin Guyer, son Michael Guyer, sisters Martha Cronholm and Jane Larson, and brother Richard Macklin.

She is survived by daughters Barbara Naegler and husband Max, and Karen Maguire and husband Brian. Grandchildren James Maguire II and wife Marissa, Sean Maguire and wife Taylor, step granddaughter Kristen Mikrut and husband Anthony, and her great grandchildren: Catherine Maguire, Margaret Maguire, Walker Maguire, Wyatt Maguire, Wesley Maguire, step grandchildren Madeline Savage and Michael Todd, as well as nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family would like to thank Betty’s amazing care team, Kaci and Christine of Right at Home Care, Shawna Brewer of Tex-Med home health team, and Alamo Hospice team, especially Sam and Sharah.

In lieu of flowers the family would like you to be kind to a stranger, family, or friends because no one knows what they are going through.

Memorials may be made to your preference.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory of Betty on her “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.