Guy Bilyeu

Guy Samuel Bilyeu, 54, of Chattanooga, Tenn., passed peacefully Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013.Guy was born in Hopewell, Va., Feb. 25, 1959. He attended Hopewell High School and was a beloved part of the HHS Class of 77. He attended Richard Bland College and Tidewater Ballet in Virginia.From 2003 he served as Executive Director of the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga. Under his leadership HES was named Animal Shelter of the Year in 2005 and inducted in Tennessee Animal Hall of Fame in 2006. He was also a founding member of Wallys Friends Clinic. In 2009, at the request of PetSmart Charities, he created a webinar on HES "Getting to Zero" program to end euthanasia for treatable, adoptable and trainable animals and HES has not had to euphonize TAT animal since 2008. From 2006 he served as board member of Humane Strategies, which runs the Rescue Waggin Program for PetSmart Charities and was fully involved in its development.Prior to HES, he was a professional ballet dancer for 22 years and was a principal dancer with his former wife and principal ballerina Eileen Price for Nevada Dance Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, Colorado Ballet and he was guest artist with various companies throughout US. He also performed as a professional singer and was a favorite at karaoke establishments. Concurrently, he worked to help animals e.g., initiative on the ballot to end the selling of shelter animals to research in Sacramento, CA; helped obtain video footage of orangutans being beaten, leading to a show being canceled in Las Vegas; PAWS. He was preceded in death by his father in Hank Bilyeu.Those left to cherish his memory include his loving mother Anne Bilyeu; eternally devoted fianc Kim Radcliffe to whom Guy shall always be her love and angel; siblings, Gary Bilyeu (Jill/Kirby/Katie), favorite sister Cherry Bilyeu-Buhl (Norman/Nicholas), Scott Bilyeu (Sharon/ Kendall), special cousins, extended family and friends that loved him more than life itself and that he loved very much. He embodied passion for life and he lived his dreams. His essence was love, and he strove for peace and harmony. He was sunshine with glowing sunflower eyes.Visitation will be held at Hamilton Funeral Home, Hixson, TN, Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 2-8 p.m.Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, the place and time to be announced.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Humane Educational Society, 212 North Highland Park Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404.Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremation Services; 4506 Hixson Pike, Hixson, Tennessee, 37347. 423-531-3975