Anne Guyder Kenan

Our Mother, Anne Kathleen Guyder, was born in Syracuse, New York on October 22, 1933 to parents Raymond and Helen O’Donnell Guyder. She was the second of three beautiful red-haired daughters, each one of them quite different in personality to one another. Our Mother was the quiet and shy one, and our two Aunts would likely tell you also that she was the best behaved of the three! Tragically, they lost their father to a boating accident in 1941, when she was just 7 years old. Her Mother raised the three girls with help from loving Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, and Friends.

Anne was a devout Catholic through her life, attending Catholic schools and graduating from Most Holy Rosary High School in 1951. After high school graduation she became a secretary at Syracuse Savings Bank, and an executive secretary at Equitable. In the Fall of 1958 she met our Dad, Laurence Kenan (Larry), at a sports car rally they had attended with friends, and love bloomed quickly. They were engaged six weeks after they met, and married February 7, 1959, just six months from when they met. They were married at Most Holy Rosary church in Syracuse and made their first and second homes in the suburb of Camillus.

Their first child Christopher was born in April 1961, and Anne began the role she was born to play – Wife and Mother extraordinaire. She was so thrilled with their baby boy! Soon after she was pregnant again and daughter Kathleen was born in August 1962. We remember her telling us while she was in the hospital she thought to herself how blessed she was – she then had a son AND a daughter! In October 1963 her third child, daughter Elizabeth was born, and in May 1966 her fourth child, son Patrick was born. She lost her dear Mother in 1966, and in 1969 Larry’s job with General Electric transferred the family from Syracuse to Phoenix, Arizona.

Phoenix soon became home to the Kenan family, and Anne settled in wonderfully. In addition to taking care of her husband and children, she kept her house immaculate, took care of family finances, had a good dinner on the table every night, and baked spectacular chocolate chip cookies. She also found time to teach Catechism classes to the children at church. In 1972 she was surprised and delighted to find she was pregnant with fifth (and final) child, son Michael. Anne and Larry were thrilled with his birth, as were each of his older brothers and sisters, who happily joined in caring for him. As the family grew, so did her Catholic faith. Both Anne and Larry became involved in the Cursillo movement through church, took many classes through the Kino Institute, and participated in Marriage Encounter. All of this was a blessing to her family.

Anne and Larry moved from Phoenix to Westlake Village, California in 1986; to Dublin, Ireland in 1992; to San Diego, California in 1993; and then retired to Peoria, Arizona in 1998 to be close to their grown children and grandchildren. Anne and Larry were blessed with 58 years of happy marriage until the Lord took Larry home in 2017. Anne has missed him terribly for the last seven years, but still made her time left on earth meaningful and continued to bless her family with her presence. Anne was a bright light in this world and a wonderful example to others, and will be remembered as a sweet, gentle, and kind woman who left this world a better place than she found it.

Anne is predeceased by husband Larry and sister Mary Oldaker, and leaves behind her sister Helen Patricia Gingell and her five children – sons Christopher (Melanie), Patrick, and Michael (Danielle), and daughters Kathleen Wheeler and Elizabeth Jordan (David); as well as 12 Grandchildren – Kristen (Al), Eric, Alyssa (Dan), Dylon, Annie, Ada, Laura, Jaxon, Johnny, Angel, Maria, and Gisella; and numerous nieces and nephews. Her first Great Grandchild, a Grandson, is due to be born next week – we had so hoped she could rally and be here for his birth, but he will have a wonderful guardian angel now. Our love for this wonderful Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, and Friend is immeasurable, and she will be deeply missed.

The Funeral Mass will be Saturday June 29 at 11:30 AM, at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 9728 W. Palmeras Drive, Sun City, AZ 85373. A Celebration of Life will follow the service, at the Jordan Residence. Interment will be on Tuesday July 2 at 10:30 AM, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Cemetery, 23015 Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014. The family asks in lieu of sending flowers, that donations be made to St. Vincent de Paul in her memory.