Mr. Bruce Charles Wiley, 69, formerly of High Point, passed away on April 26, 2025, at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.
Bruce was born to the late Wilmot and Louise Wiley of Memphis, Tennessee, on July 17th, 1955. Bruce grew up in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, where he was later a standout student athlete at Whitehaven High School. Bruce attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, was a proud member of Sigma Nu, captained the club hockey team, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1978. There he also met his loving and devoted future wife of 45 years, Laura Anne Ives.
Bruce and Laura were married in Knoxville on February 2nd, 1980. They had two sons, Adam and Andrew, who Bruce was so very proud of. When they were young, he loved coaching them in baseball and football, mentoring for school projects and science fairs, and being an adult leader in scouting, because it meant spending as much time as he could with his boys.
Bruce worked in the apparel industry for over 36 years in many locations throughout the Southeast and Midwest before settling in High Point in 1997. He later earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2011, and eventually retired as a supply chain executive with VF Jeanswear (now Kontoor Brands, Inc.) in 2016. He served as a board member, and retired this year as the Chairman of Greensboro’s Acclaim Federal Credit Union.
He and Laura relocated to their mountain home in the beautiful Appalachian mountains outside of Mountain City, Tennessee, and later added a little getaway on the ocean in Cherry Grove Beach in South Carolina. Bruce and Laura very much enjoyed splitting their time between watching the sunrises over the Blue Ridge Mountains, soaking up the sun on the beach, traveling and cruising around the world, entertaining friends and family, and most of all, being with each other. Bruce often said, "any place is home if my Laura is there."
A man of keen intelligence and quick wit, Bruce was always up for a spirited conversation about politics, current events, history or sports. He passionately followed St. Louis Cardinals baseball, UT Volunteers football, and Memphis Tigers basketball. He was active in the North Carolina Republican Party, and managed Laura’s successful campaigns for public office.
Bruce is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, the Hon. Laura Ives Wiley, formerly of the North Carolina House of Representatives; his son Adam (Meredith) Wiley of Alexandria, Virginia; older brothers Wilmot “Smitty” (Penny) Wiley, Jr. of Bartlett, Tennessee and David B. Wiley of Elizabethton, Tennessee; his mother-in-law, Ms. Joanne Ives of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; nieces Katherine Ives of Orlando, Florida, and Melissa Lumpkin, née Wiley, of Memphis; and nephew David Ives of Arlington, Virginia.
He was preceded in death by his older sister, Priscilla Wiley of Belmont, New York; his youngest son, Andrew Lee Wiley of High Point; his brother-in-law, Mark Ives of Crofton, Maryland; sister-in-law (Mark’s spouse), Carol Ives, née Zimmerman, of Austin, Texas; and his father-in-law, Col. M.R. Ives (USMC, ret.) of Knoxville, Tennessee.
We have lost a man who was loved by many. His perseverance and grace through many successful battles with various cancers taught us to live life to the fullest, his humor showed us the fun in every day, and his love for his family and friends is a lesson in the joy of giving one's heart to others. He will be sorely missed by all that knew him.
A visitation and service will be held on May 17, 2025, at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, starting at 1:00 p.m., service at 3:00 p.m.
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
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