CONWAY, Ark. (November 17, 2012) - Longtime Hendrix chaplain Rev. Jon Dickey Guthrie, 77, passed away Saturday, Nov. 17 in Conway.
Born in Prescott, Ark., to Lee E. and Kathryn Dickey Guthrie, Rev. Guthrie graduated from Delight High School in 1952 and from Hendrix College in 1956. He completed Drew University School of Theology in Madison, N.J. in 1959 and theological studies at Heidelberg University of Germany in 1958. He was an ordained elder of the United Methodist Church of the Arkansas Annual Conference and served as a Methodist Missionary in Zaire, Congo in 1959 as the Belgian Congo declared its independence from Belgium.
Guthrie returned home in 1962 for further studies and returned in Zaire in 1964, leading a team of three men of A-3 missionary status in war-torn Congo. He returned to the states and in 1968 was appointed as the associate pastor of First United Methodist Church of Conway, Ark.
In 1969, he began serving as chaplain of Hendrix College, where he retired in 1996. Since 2000, he has continued to serve Hendrix as special advisor to Hendrix President Dr. J. Timothy Cloyd.
Rev. Guthrie's dad played minor league baseball which gave Jon a love of the sport. He was also an ardent supporter of Riddle's Elephant & Wildlife Sanctuary of Greenbrier, Ark.
Guthrie is survived by Jan Reinhardt Guthrie of Conway, and their children: Paul Edward Guthrie and spouse Susan of Louisville, Ky., and Holly Guthrie Martin and husband Mike of Conway; grandchildren Matt Hill, Eva Guthrie, and Anna Guthrie; sister: Nancy Guthrie Gipson and spouse Jim of Searcy, Ark.; nieces and nephews Amy Thompson Maxson, Chris Thompson Rambo, and David Reinhardt; brother-in-law: Bill Reinhardt and wife Susie of Hot Springs, Ark.
He was preceded in death by his parents Lee and Kathryn Guthrie of Fort Smith, Ark., and grandparents John and Kate Dickey of Delight, Ark. and Walter and Nell Guthrie of Fort Smith.
Memorials may be given to Hendrix College designated to the Imagine No Malaria campaign to eradicate malaria in sub-saharan Africa and to Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary.
A memorial service will be held for Rev. Jon Guthrie on Monday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Conway, Ark. Visitation will be held immediately after the service at the church.