Donald "Billy" William Guinnee

Donald William “Billy” Guinnee, 58, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, May 29th, 2020 doing what he loved, playing basketball with his sons and being near his wife.

From an early age, Billy enjoyed basketball, playing for his beloved high school team the Hobbs High Eagles. After graduating from Graceland College, he jumped right in to teaching, and his love for basketball turned in to a love for coaching. He began coaching both of his niece’s basketball teams, but it quickly became more than coaching to Billy. He spent many years coaching competitive youth teams and then began his 25-year career coaching at Truman High School, in the Independence School District, recently retiring in 2016. He truly cherished every single moment he spent with his players and students and he poured himself in to teaching the game of basketball and the game of life. It was also basketball that led him to Jami, the love of his life, and together with Gunnar and Dayton, they built a beautiful family. Billy was a coach, mentor, loving husband, wonderful father, and friend who touched so many lives. Basketball is what he was known for, but his family was his legacy.

Billy was preceded in death by his parents Donald and Mary, and leaves behind two incredible sons Gunnar, 14 and Dayton, 10 and his loving wife of 20 years, Jami. He also leaves behind 4 sisters, Mary Lou, Jeannie, Barbara and Robin, 2 brothers, David and Tim, Mother-in-law Linda, Father-in-law Darryl (Karla), 2 brothers-in-law, Jason (Stephanie) and Tyler (Tracie), sister-in-law Holly, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Billy will be remembered by his wit, smile, sense of humor, love for his family, sports, and his boys, which were his world.

The Guinnee Family would like to extend our gratitude to all family and friends who have shown such overwhelming support in this time of sorrow. We will forever carry Billy’s memory in our hearts, and he will always be a light that lives on!