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Wiley Horton Obituary
Wiley was born October 4, 1937 in Texas, and at a young age moved to Eloy, AZ. At Santa Cruz High School he excelled in all sports and held several records in track/field with a state record in discus. He starred in basketball at NAU earning Most Valuable Player as a sophomore. After graduating with B.S. in ED in 1961, he & his wife (Betsy) settled in the Yuma, AZ, area where they both taught until retiring in 1993. In 1999 Wiley was inducted into the NAU Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wiley is survived by his wife, Betsy; their children, Randy, Lisa, Tami, along with their families: James, David, Karen, Natalie and Laird. Siblings: Bob, Pat, Denny & Betty. We will all miss his witty humor & funny stories.
Services are pending. Scholarship donations are being accepted. Make checks to: NAU Foundation, PO Box 4094 Flagstaff, AZ. 86011, for the Wiley Horton Basketball Endowment.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Wiley Horton
Mickey & Madonna Thomas
May 13, 2011
Betsy, Although it has been at least 45 years since I have seen you and Wylie, I have thought of you many times, remembering you both being great teachers,how cute you were when pregnant with Randy & what a precious baby he was,what a great basketball coach Wiley was,and his great sense of humor!Thank you for fond memories. My prayers are with you and your family.
Love, Madonna Reagan Thomas
May 7, 2011
Betsy, My heartfelt condolences on Wileys passing.I have such fond memories of you two during our years at NAU. Also enjoyed our "surprise visit" in Pinetop. Love and Sympathy, Louise Waddle Clark
Randy, Lisa, & Tami Horton
May 6, 2011
Thank you all, for writing about our dad. From reading your prayers and stories about him, I'm understanding what a great influence he was on you. Keep them coming - they make us feel better. He was always a COOL dad. But he was all we knew. We thought all dads were like this growing up. It wasn't until we reached adulthood that we realized what an awesome person he was and could make you laugh so hard your belly hurt. Even right before his passing, he was still making us laugh - but can't share online because it's not G rated! We will never get over this shock or understand how the world keeps going on now, but thank you for caring enough to take the time for us!
Maggie (Ruiz) Hamilton
May 6, 2011
Mrs.Horton and Family,
I was sad to hear of Mr.Horton passing.
I admire him for always being a kind and
encouraging teacher. My thoughts and prayer are with you.
Marvin Marlatt
May 5, 2011
Betsy, I pray that you and your family will find comfort in the wake of this sudden loss. I have fond memories of my time in the classroom and the gym as a student under Coach Horton.
Billie Garcia
May 5, 2011
To The Wiley Horton Family, we missed you as our friends over the years. So deeply sorry to hear about Wiley, please let us know if there is anything we could do to help you. Our deepes sympathy..
Jim and Billie (Young) Garcia
Chuck Allen
May 5, 2011
Betsy, I am so sorry to hear of your great loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I will always remember Wiley with great fondness as my basketball coach at Antelope. He taught me many great lessons.
Mark Greenough
May 5, 2011
Betsy & family....Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. What a great teacher, coach and friend. We will treasure all the memories. May God bless you and yours!
Donna (Jones) Beck
May 5, 2011
Betsy & family,
Wiley..... what a great teacher he was and what a life he had. Memories..... a gift from God, treasure them always. May God Bless you and your family. You are in my prayers.
Eugene Burgett
May 4, 2011
Betsy, I am so sorry to here about Wiley, shocked actually. He was such an inspiration and gave me so much wisdom as a young man.He was a genuine man in every sense of the word. Please say hi to the kids. My prayers are with you all. God Bless You. Love,
Manuel Rodriguez
May 4, 2011
Dear Betsy,
Talk about a bolt from the blue! Wiley was a dear friend that I am going to really miss.
He was a unique and interesting man with a fabulous sense of humor. Few people know that Wiley and I ate lunch at school together for almost nine straight years.
Those lunch conversations are very precious to me.
Please accept my deepest sympathy.
Manuel Rodriguez
Fermin Ruiz
May 4, 2011
Betsy and Family our deepest regrets on the passing of Coach Horton We will always remember the great times we had at Antelope High school. Our prayers go out to you and your family.Betsy contract me when the service is set.
Henrietta and Fermin Ruiz
Larry Gray
May 4, 2011
Betsy, I am so sorry to hear about Coach Horton. I have talked to several of the guys he coached and taught at Antelope and we have the best memories. I remember one of the first things he asked me (I was a freshman), "is there a good barber in Wellton?". I will certainly always remember him as a teacher, coach, athlete, friend with a great sense of humor and fellow employee of the Arizona Box Company. Take care of yourself, Larry Gray.
Martha Garcia
May 4, 2011
Mrs. Horton and Family my deepest sympathy in your hour of sorrow. I knew your father as a Social Studies teacher of mine back in Antelope Union High (Wellton) Great teacher with alot of patience for me as I was a non-english speaker and how he help me learn about our history. Mrs. Horton you and your family are in my prayers. Martha Garcia (Morga)
jim colby
May 4, 2011
Betsy, I can not begin to convey my feelings about Wiley's passing. He was a true friend and we sure had a lot of fun together. I'll always remember the golf tournaments and trophies that "he won" for us. One of my favorite Wiley sayings, (and there were many) was when asked where he carried his handicap. His response, "I carry it in my pocket". As I continue in life, memories of Wiley will flow in and out of the conversation. He will be missed.
Brittney Payne
May 3, 2011
I am a grand-daughter to Laura and Dale Payne, Good friends of Wiley and Betsy. I have known Wiley my whole life. I missed goin up to Pinetop to visit him and Betsy. I remember of always wanting to slide down their upside down V roof... But my BEST and Most Missed memory of him is when one time I was probably 4-7 years old, a couple of us were walking with him while it was at night. I had a big bag of Cheetos in my hand and I tried to catch up to them and fell with ALL Of WILEYS Cheetos... Whenever we brought up memories from the past, he always brought that one up and I vaguely remember. Cheetos have always been my favorite type of chips, sooo I can actually see that happening. Betsy, I know you have more memories of us from back then, thats whats gonna keep him alive in our hearts. Keep your head up and be strong for your kids and grandkids <3<3<3
May 2, 2011
Dear Betsy and family, Pete and I extend our deepest sympathy in the loss of Wiley. He was a "great" guy and it was a joy to watch both of you at NAU! We will always remember the good times and memories. We will keep you and your family in our prayers. Betty and Pete Dohrmann, Pinetop, AZ 85935 and former NAU classmates.
May 1, 2011
betsy and family, we send our heartfelt sympathys to you. we always enjoyed him a lot. He had a big heart and a great sense of humor. Bob and Sandy Mc Lendon
Carrie Mayfield
May 1, 2011
My family their deepest regrets in the loss of Wiley. It is a difficult time when you lose someone you love. Our prayers go out to you.
Sincerely,
Carrie Mayfield
Wayland Harris
matt pacheco
May 1, 2011
my deepest sympathies. wiley was a great guy and gentleman. we competeted for four years in high school and i always respected him for the way he carried himself.
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