Ronald "Ron" W. Guth

Ronald W. “Ron” Guth, 79, of Goshen, passed away Sunday, August 21, 2022 after a brief illness, with his wife of 44 years, Caryl M. Guth, by his side. Ron to his many dear friends, his life partner Caryl, and sister Lylln (Rick) Brinkman; Dad to Ronald (Rhonda) W. Guth, Jr. of Napa, California and Gretchen (Alan) E. Price of Seattle, Washington; and Opa to Granddaughter Anna (Jeffrey) K. Little, also of Seattle, and Great Grandsons Grayson and Tanner. To scores of others he was Mr. Ron, an ardent advocate for justice, equity, and inclusion of the marginalized—‘the little guy.’ He believed everyone deserved a seat at the table. He reminded those around him of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. His core Zurich Anabaptist beliefs shaped him and his philosophy—God loves everyone, no exceptions.

A son of southwest Louisiana, Ron hailed from Lake Charles. Born to parents Lyle and Margaret Guth on January 8, 1943, he loved all things Cajun and creole, all things inherently Louisiana—swamp pop music, oyster poboys and snowballs, life on the bayou, heading to the Gulf through the Rigolets for deep water fishing on the Advocate I or II. His journey took him from the High School State Championship Football Team in 1958 to life as a Fightin’ Tiger at LSU and member of the Chinese Bandit Football Squad in 1959. It would be his studies that would lead him to Tulane University Law School in 1968 for a Juris Doctor and a 53-year career as an Attorney and Counselor at Law.  A political enthusiast, Ron worked tirelessly in Louisiana state, city and parish governments. Entrepreneurship would eventually lead Ron and Caryl to Indiana and ownership of the Honeyville General Store, Checkerboard Café and White Swan. He resided in Goshen at the time of his passing.

His most cherished joys included long drives along Louisiana highways with Caryl for music and crawfish etouffee either by car, bicycle, motorcycle, or boat. He looked forward to colorful conversations with his kids and granddaughter. His advice to his great grandboys—read and attend to your studies, watch the ball, hustle, and work hard. ‘Don’t forget to frog them boys,’ he’d say. Often, he could be found listening to any and all kinds of music—from Bavarian on the concertina, opera, and the Three Tenors to the Rolling Stones, blues, and Jerry Lee Lewis. He was a voracious reader and loved WC Fields, In the Heat of the Night, My Cousin Vinny and LSU baseball.

Because of Ron we all work harder, love with open minds and full hearts; we persevere and never give up. We will miss his guidance, his opinions, wisdom, and ability to see the best in everyone. Case in point—Ron once met a young man with a broken-down lawnmower in Selma, AL. He befriended this man and ultimately bought him a bicycle, , a trailer, and new mower—capital for a little business. This is important not for his achievement in helping the man, but for the dignity he helped restore, and the example for the rest of us to do the same.

Funeral Services: Visitation 8:30 AM and services will begin at 9:30 AM in the Amish home of Duane and Rose Yoder, 3930 S. 950 W., Millersburg, IN 46543. Ron will be buried in Honeyville Cemetery. Please stay for light lunch and fellowship and a celebration of Ron's life. (950W runs right beside (south) the "old" Honeyville General Store and funeral will take place in the next house past Caryl's pink guest house).

A gift tribute can be made in Ron’s memory to Southern Poverty Law Center ( splcenter.org/donate ) or Equal Justice Initiative ( eji.org/) in lieu of flowers. Please check the small box/follow the prompts to indicate the donation is in memoriam and provide the requested information.