USMA 1960 JOSEPH
PATRICK WILEY
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USMA 1960 JOSEPH
PATRICK WILEY
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 Class
OfficersReunion
PhotosFallen
ClassmatesNinninger
HallMail
ClassmatesWest
PointAOG
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Joseph Patrick Wiley, deemed "Jose
de Nashville" by companymates, was born in the hills of Tennessee.
He was the "old man" in the Class of '60 in Company F-1 and was everything
from father confessor to guidance counselor. Many classmates owe
their survival at West Point and after graduation successes to Jose's hillbilly
common sense and willingness to be a friend to those in need. In
return, friends worked with him to overcome the academic shortcomings of
his rural Tennessee upbringings and spent late nights in the sinks listening
to his philosophy of life while the mysteries of Plebe math, Yearling chemistry,
Cow juice, and First Class mechanics were unraveled. Joe was a master
storyteller, and he used those stories of life in the Tennessee hills to
constantly reinforce the moral values of "Duty, Honor, Country."
He taught, and learned, and everyone won on 8 Jun 1960--Graduation Day.
Joe was a natural leader at West Point as well as in industry and in the community where he lived. He served with distinction as an Infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division and at Headquarters, Army, Alaska. When Joe resigned from the Army, he stayed in Alaska and excelled in everything he did. He worked for IBM as an account executive and was promoted to regional manager for the western U.S. and the Pacific Orient. After IBM, Joe became the special assistant to the president of Alaska's largest grocery chain and, within ten years, was the executive vice president and Chief Executive Officer of that statewide chain. In his spare time, Joe earned a master's degree in business from Alaska Methodist University, now known as Alaska Pacific University. In his community, Joe served as the chairman of the Alaska Chapter of the American Cancer Society and climbed Mt. McKinley in May 1973 to help raise more than $20,000 for that charity. For his ascent, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce gave him the Gold Pan Award for outstanding achievement and, later, Joe served on the board of directors. He served as the chairman of the board for Public Affairs Development Committee, chairman of the Greater Anchorage Area Planning and Zoning Committee, and the Municipality's Ethics Committee. Joe also was on the Anchorage Arts Council and was president of the Anchorage YMCA. He was co-founder and president of the Junior Achievers of Alaska and vice president of the Explorer Scout Program for the Boy Scouts of America. Among his many other humanitarian contributions, he donated 50 acres to the Alaska Pacific University that still is used today by the science department. Joe's all to early departure left a loving wife, Leslie and eight devoted children -- sons Patrick, Brian, and Kevin; daughters Ann, Caroline, Kathy, Marci, and Sara; and six grandchildren. Those he touched remember him for his love for soldiers, the Army and the nation. Just as he significantly influenced classmates, he inspired the soldiers with whom he served and the members of his community. His stories were shared while soldiers and friends gathered around campfires in the 1960s, and even today, those stories circulate through to those who listen and understand his message. The Joe Wiley we knew and miss always will live
on as long as there are people and campfires. His enduring contribution
to life was the moral values communicated by those who heard him and the
others who continue to tell his stories.
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