Obituary of James Hugh Wiley

James Hugh Wiley ('Hugh' to friends and colleagues), 89, of Morgantown, departed this life on June 21, 2017 at Point Marion Manor.

Hugh was born on November 29, 1927 in Logan, West Virginia at 610 Stratton Street, a son of the late Dale Oscar Wiley and Effie Dale Avis.

He was a graduate of Logan High School Class of 1945 in Logan, West Virginia, and joined the band has a drummer. He was additionally an Eagle Scout with Bronze Palm and received a lifesaving medal for saving an adult from drowning when he was 15 years old.

He enlisted in the US Air Force and worked for the weather service, helping develop drop weather instruments from 1945 to 1947 with the 71st AAFB and the 104th Weather Group in Elgin Field, Florida, where they were also attempting to relaunch Hitler's V5 and V2 rockets. The 104th is now known as the Hurricane Hunters. His military awards include a Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, WW2 Victory Medal, Honorable Service lapel button, World War II AAF technical badge with Weather Observer Bar, Sharpshooter badge with bar, and a Marksman badge with Pistol bar.

He attended college at WVU, graduating with a BA and a BS degree, and finishing his education at the Medical College of Virginia with an MD degree in 1953. He met Ann Whittlesey, the youngest daughter of the History of Medicine professor and married her. After he became a doctor, he first worked as a coal company doctor in Lundale,West Virginia, just a few miles downstream from the Buffalo Creek Dam. After two-and-a-half years in Lundale, and before the tragic flood there, he left for a residency in the world-famous Campbell Orthopedic Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee.

After becoming an orthopedic surgeon, he went back to Morgantown to practice with Dr.'s Pickett and Miller in what became known as Morgantown Orthopedics after the addition of Dr.'s Doug Bowers, Jack Stemple, and others. In 1996 he built his own practice and built his own office as James H. Wiley Medical Corporation, practicing at 1195 Pineview Drive until age 77.

Hugh Wiley had hospital privileges at Monongalia General Hospital, the Vincent Pallotti Hospital and at West Virginia University Hospital. He was a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon, a Fellow of the American College of Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians. He also taught, unpaid, as a Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery for over 20 years at the WVU School of Medicine. His additional works included West Virginia Orthopedic Surgeon of the Year and other accolades including a Fellowship for WVU Medical School. He volunteered for the Crippled Children's Society for 20 years.

He and Ann Wiley had two children, John Frederick Wiley and James Thomas Wiley. John Wiley resides in Morgantown with his wife Joanna Whetsell Wiley, and has one child, Emily, who married John Randall and had Hugh's three great-grandchildren, Wilhelmina, John and Robert. Tom Wiley and his wife Cheri Kyler Wiley have two children, Katelyn Wiley and Benjamin Wiley.

Hugh was preceded in death by his brother, Dale Wiley Jr., 88, of Richmond, Virginia, and Dale's son, Dale Wiley III, who died at age 50 from Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Dale's wife Polly survives him, as does their daughter Ann Setien, who resides with her husband Jeff. They have two children, Scott Setien and Eileen Jackson.

Hugh was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church and his favorite bible quote is Romans 8:37 to 39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Hugh's last message is "Love to All", and to his patients "If it hurts, don't do it."

Friends and family will be received at Wesley United Methodist Church, 503 North High Street, on Friday, June 23 at 10AM until the time of service at 1PM with Rev. Dr. Randall F. Flanagan officiating. Interment will take place in Monterey, VA at a later date.

Send condolences online at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com.