James M. Wiley

James Mark Wiley (67) passed away June 30, 2017, at Samaritan Health Center in West Bend, WI, surrounded by his family. He was born in Racine on February 5, 1950, and was preceded in death by his Father Harold Wiley and Mother Leone (Dolly) (nee: Clark) Wiley. His ever-present smile and positive outlook will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

James proudly lived his life independently in spite of his physical challenges which he never let slow him down. He attended J.I.Case High School and took several courses at Gateway Technical Institute. He held various jobs throughout his life and retired in 2015 from the Racine Public Library after 17 years of service in the children’s department.

He was a John Wayne fan through and through! He enjoyed his many western collectibles and if there was a John Wayne movie on TV, you could bet he would be watching it.

James traveled to many places including Washington, DC, Lovington, IL to visit his brother Tom and family, and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada, to visit his sister Donna and family. A dear family friend who was a pilot, Jay Gregor, took James flying on many occasions. Throughout all his years in Racine, his sister Judy treated him to many day trips to museums, parks and took care of his every need. His sister Sally who lives in West Bend, made frequent trips to join James and Judy on their many adventures which included meals at local eateries. But his favorite was Salute Italian Restaurant. They were like his second family. Many thanks to John and Ida and the entire staff for their friendship and support.

As James’ health declined, we were fortunate that a dear family friend, Carol Anderson Panyk could assist him with some of his daily activities.

James is survived by his siblings, Donna Wiley, Thomas (Lori) Wiley, Judy Wiley, and Sally (Jim) Stollenwerk. He is fondly remembered as “Uncle Jim” by nieces and nephews, Paula, Katie, Eric, Heidi, Cale, Cameron, Kyle, Cliff, Clayton, Alyssa, Valerie and Andrew. He also leaves behind 17 great nieces and nephews. James enjoyed the companionship of all the family pets; Inky, OB, Haskins, Jax, Bruce, Busch, Leo, Lexie and Larry.

Funeral services will be held at the funeral home, Thursday, July 6, 2017, 12:00 P.M. with Rev. Laura Fladten officiating. Interment will follow at Graceland Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet with the family Thursday, 11:00 A.M. until time of service at noon. Memorials to the Childrens’ Department of the Racine Public Library or the Wisconsin Humane Society Racine Campus have been suggested.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the 4th Floor Staff at Samaritan Health Center in West Bend and Allay Hospice Care for their compassionate support and tender care provided to James.