MRS. FREDDIE L. GUESS
1922-2021
Freddie Johnson Guess was born August 21, 1922 in Houston, Texas to parents Bessie Powell Johnson and Fred C. Johnson. The Johnson Funeral Home, founded by her father Fred, continues through four generations.
Her formal education took place at Holy Rosary High School; Fisk University, and Columbia University Teachers College. For the next decade after her graduation she was undecided about teaching as a means to impact the lives of communities or Social Work. Her first post Masters job was as a Counselor at Southern University. Her next job was as an Instructor at Butler College, as was her third one at Texas College. It was at Texas College that the young teacher met John Guess, who although he was the same age, was a student of hers. That relationship led to marriage, a move back to Houston, and the birth of four children; Michelle, John Jr, Fred and Sam.
The move also resulted in Freddie’s decision that Social Work was her true love. She became a Counselor at Gulf Coast Community Action Association and subsequently at Texas Southern University (TSU), where she successfully wrote the first federally funded grants for the TRIO program; subsequently managing Upward Bound, Talent Search and Student Support Services. Freddie was especially proud of this funding breakthrough and work because these programs allowed hundreds of students to get support from the Department of Education.
To these hundreds of students Freddie added more as a Foster Parent, bringing her “other” children for brief periods of time to live with her family and to be supported directly through her guidance. From that transitional time, lifetime friendships were made and maintained.
After her retirement from TSU, Freddie continued her service on the boards of Johnson Funeral Home, Johnson-Guess Investments and the Julius C. Hester House, and spent her time volunteering to manage aspects of the Fred C. Johnson Foundation, a family foundation that has given and continues to give scholarships to hundreds of high school kids to support their college educations.
She was a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, who counted among her sorors most of the Guess family women. She was an accomplished Bridge player who became a local and regional organizer of
American Contract Bridge Association. And then there was her legendary reading which continued until the end of her life. She started each day by reading the Houston Chronicle cover to cover, which she demanded upon its delivery. Nights were filled with books; fiction and nonfiction. She loved romance novels and Isabel Wilkerson. Her bed was filled with these novels and she amazed her family as she got older by complete readings of The Warmth of Other Suns THREE times.
On February 8, 2021 Freddie passed away as she wished, peacefully at home. She was preceded in death by her parents Fred and Bessie Johnson, by her ex-husband John Guess, by her brother and sister-in-law Charles and Betty Johnson; by her daughter Michelle Guess and her son Sam C. Guess. She is survived by her sons John Guess, Jr (Melanie) and Fred; her daughter-in-law Susan Guess; her grandsons Sam E. Guess, Stephen Guess and Frederick Guess; her goddaughters Allison McLemore and Desiree McKinney; friend Arvis Ford and numerous family members from the Guess-Johnson-Harvey clan.
In lieu of flowers, Freddie would love to be remembered by contributions to the Fred C. Johnson Foundation Sam C. Guess Scholarship Fund. The Celebration of Life Services will be on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 11am at Riverside United Methodist Church 4920 Cullen Blvd Houston, Tx 77004. The interment will follow at Houston Memorial Gardens.