Guy Coffee, Jr.

Elwyn Guy Coffee, Jr., 88, of Manhattan, known for his love of being an avid chess player and coin collector, passed away Wednesday morning, October 5th, at the Ascension Via Christi Health Hospital. He was a former librarian at the KSU College of Veterinary Medicine from 1970 until 1997 and was a former librarian at the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and the Universal Caribbean University School of Medicine in Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.

Elwyn Guy Coffee, Jr, arrived into this world in Kansas City, Missouri on January 24, 1934, the son of the late Mary Ruth (Alexander) Coffee O'Mahony and Elwyn Guy Coffee, Sr. He grew up among family in Kansas City, Missouri.

Guy was married to Janice Ellen Clawson in Manhattan at the First Christian Church on June 25, 1971. They spent their honeymoon in Western Canada. He and Janice were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.

Guy attended and graduated from Raytown High School in 1952; a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from the University of Missouri in 1968 and worked in Kansas City as a biomedical lab assistant for about 8 years; in 1970 he received his Master's degree in Library Science from Emporia State University. He was also active in the community theater in Kansas City during the 60's.

Guy is survived by his daughter, Caryn M. (Coffee) Davidson and her husband, James Davidson, of Red Oak, Texas; his son, Tom Coffee, of St. Paul, Minnesota; grandsons Brandon J. Davidson & Ayden M. Davidson and his brother and sister-in-law, Eldon & Marlene Clawson, Wakarusa, KS. Guy is preceded in death by his parents as well as his wife, Janice.

A “Celebration of Life & Memorial Service” for Guy will be held at 10:30 am on Friday, December 23, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church, 801 Leavenworth St. in Manhattan. Scattering of ashes will follow the service at the church's garden, with a time for sharing stories of Guy, and fellowship after.

The family would like to thank the staff and teams at Ascension Via Christi Health Hospital for their compassionate care during Guy's short stay.

Contributions may be sent to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Kansas, 1801 SW Wanamaker Rd, Ste 6, Unit 14; Topeka, KS 66604-3804 or the Meadowlark Parkinson’s Program, or the American Diabetes.org, Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) and the American Heart Association (www.heart.org/donate).