Prof. David Alan "Woo" Wiley

"DAVID WILEY: FIVE STARS, EXCEPTIONAL!" There is no more fitting way to remember a man who spent his entire career dedicated to teaching marketing and advertising than to read the raving reviews from actual friends and family. Our dad wrote his own obituary that read like a resume, and spoke nothing of his actual exuberance, so we chucked it. This is the last creative writing assignment from his daughters, and we hope we make him proud.

"DAVE WILEY, I LOVE THAT MAN!" Our dad began his exceptional life on October 14th, 1938 charming everyone he met in his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia. He was known as a star on his church league basketball team, a formidable pool shark, and according to the ladies, a "PHENOMENAL DANCER" at all of the Charleston High School parties.

"WOO WILEY WAS THE LIFE OF THE PARTY!" Dad attended West Virginia University where he graduated from the School of Journalism as an advertising major, and continued to bleed yellow and blue as a true Mountaineer for the rest of his life. He could always be found at his beloved Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity house singing at the top of his lungs or orchestrating an amazing prank. After completing his active duty tour in the US Army Reserves, he returned to WVU as a graduate assistant to pursue a MSJ which was awarded in 1967.

"THAT MAN WAS A MARKETING GENIUS!" He lit up the advertising world in Akron, Ohio winning 2 awards for political advertising at the Akron Beacon Journal, and was exceptionally proud of his work at The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, where he won a national recognition for the best industrial ad. In 1966 he left the full-time grind to follow the call of teaching, which brought him back to WVU as an advertising professor.

"THE BLIND DATE OF A LIFETIME!" Also in 1966, David Wiley went on the blind date of a lifetime where he met our mother, Nancy Rhue Hand of San Francisco, California, through a mutual friend. Dad described her as "breathtakingly beautiful...a real Elizabeth Taylor". They were soon married, and lived in Morgantown, WV, spending their free time chaperoning fraternity parties for a bottle of booze as payment while dancing up a storm with the college kids. In 1969, their oldest daughter Heather was born, and soon after, Dad could be seen proudly carrying his delightful tow-head all over in Morgantown to run errands.

"PROFESSOR WILEY CHANGED MY LIFE!" Dad moved his family to Maryland in 1973, and accepted a teaching position in 1975 at Anne Arundel Community College where he would spend the next 34 years molding young minds. 1975 was also the year that his youngest, and by far the coolest daughter, Colleen was born. In addition to teaching lots of advertising and marketing classes, our father changed countless lives in his role as the Internship Coordinator for the Business Management Department. He was responsible for the opportunities that lead to many amazing future careers.

"CAMP DAVE WILEY OR DON'T CAMP AT ALL!" Our father's achievements in the local community were exceptional as well: serving on the vestry several times at our local church, St. Pauls Parish in Centreville, MD, serving on the Camp Wright Committee for 10 years, five years of service doing advertising for The Queen Annes County Fair; and helping with many political campaigns. By far he loved his time at Camp Wright the best, organizing work weekends to get the cabins ready for the campers and taking in the sunset view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from a rocking chair at the dining hall.

"VOTED BEST LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST IN CENTREVILLE MARYLAND!" What our dad will really be remembered for is that he was a great listener and a great story teller. He loved nothing more than to stay up late "solving the worlds problems" as he put it. Friends and relatives keep telling us that the things they will miss most are those nights where someone finally heard them...finally saw them. He had the ability to encourage young people to follow their dreams, to gently guide, and to course correct...all with a fantastic sense of humor.

David Wiley was preceded into the great beyond by his parents Ruth Duffield Wiley and Jack Wiley, his amazing sister Margaret McCoy, and his awesome brother Jack Wiley. He leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Nancy Rhue of Centreville, his oldest daughter Heather Kinnamon (Hank) of Stevensville, MD, youngest daughter Colleen Johnston (Ian) of North Cape May, NJ and his five grandchildren; Summer Moore, Bryce Moore, Miranda Kinnamon, Connor Koskinen and Wiley Koskinen.

Dad loved listening to his favorite jazz music with a drink in his hand, a smile on his lips and a daydream in his heart, his sendoff will encapsulate all these things and more. Family and friends are welcome to attend a Celebration of Life, which will be held at St. Paul's Parish in Centreville, MD on February 11th from 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM in Donaldson Hall. In lieu of flowers, we are requesting donations be made in his honor to his beloved Camp Wright. Donations can be sent to Camp Wright, 400 Camp Wright Lane, Stevensville, MD 21666.