Obituary of Glenn Leonard Wiley

Glenn Leonard Wiley, 86, passed away October 31, 2015 after a lengthy illness. He was born Percy Linwood Lord, Jr. in Presque Isle on February 22, 1929 to the late Percy Linwood Lord, Sr. and Carrie Morris Day Lord. When he was about a year old he was taken from the Home for Little Wanderers as a foster child and adopted when he was nearly nine years old by the late John and Grace Bombadier Wiley. He started working when he was eleven years old stocking shelves at the T&K Store for Myrtie Hughes. He delivered milk for Mulrony's Dairy, worked summers at Rush's saw mill. He also worked for Steve Girsa at the Western Auto and for Hector Brooks at the First National Store. He spent nearly thirty years working in Research and Development for G.N.P. Co. He enjoyed working at Stearns High School in Special Education for a year before becoming a private contractor working for Wheelabrator Energy in conjunction with the D.E.P. and Soil Conservation, permitting farm fields to receive ash for fertilizer. In 1953, Glenn became a member of the First Congregational Church in Millinocket where he was financial secretary, sexton and sang in the choir. He was a boy scout leader for Troop #66. He was president of the Bagley Mountain Amature Radio Club in Lincoln, Maine. He was treasurer of the Millinocket Kiwanis, which led him to be a member of the Millinocket Players, working on the lighting for the plays. He was president of the Friends of the Millinocket Memorial Library. He retired from the Maine National Guard with twenty-nine years and held many positions: radio operator, N.B.C instructor and supply sergeant. During Desert Storm he instructed the guard unit in N.B.C. MOPP gear exchange even though he was no longer a member of the unit - they were still his men after all. He was a member of the Millinocket American Legion Post #80. The most important part of his life was his family. He made sure they saw places and events that he thought were important: Washington D.C., Arlington Cemetery, Fort McHenry, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, New York World's Fair, Expo in Montreal, Canada. They traveled from the east coast to the west coast, tenting. His daughter told him that it was better tenting, because you met different people and experienced the area better. She said it would have spoiled it to stay in a hotel or motel. His children say his interest in science, automobiles and engines influenced them in their career choices. He enjoyed reading, astronomy, trains, four-wheeling, camping, motorcycling and later in life road trips with his fifth wheel. In addition to his parents and adoptive parents, he was predeceased by his step-mother, Pauline Hafford Winslow Lord; sisters Marlene and Carol Lord, Delores Lord Lovely Espling; brother Theodore Day and wife Freda; step-brother Harry Winslow and wife Nadia; sisters-in-law Margaret Day, Anne Drost, Lois Brawn; brothers-in-law: John Hartman, Clifford Andreason, Thomas Lovely, father and mother-in-law John and Violet Wheeler. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruth; daughter, Michal Ballou and husband Frank of Pensacola, Florida; sons: John and companion Jayne Jamo of Millinocket and Cory of Westbrook; grandchildren: Brooke Kessel and Samantha Fling of Pensacola, Florida; Joseph and Leonard Wiley of Millinocket; great-grandsons: Brennan Yost and Sebastian Kessel of Pensacola, Florida; sisters: Doris Hartman of Hudson, Florida, Jean Andreason of Farmingdale, Phyllis Holmes and husband Dale of Caribou; brothers: Ralph Day and wife Patricia of New Port Richey, Florida, Vaughn Drost of Presque Isle, Linwood Lord and wife Wendy of New Sweden; sister-in-law Dawn Hale and husband Jack of Millinocket and "The Do Nothings". The family wants to thank many people for their support: CHCS Home Health and Hospice Services. Nancy Theriault, Nancy Nadeau, Debbie Kranich, Michael Corbin, Donna Graham and Lesley Fernow, and friends: Don Nodine, Carl Ackley, John Beaupain, Dick Martin, Dennis Morgan, Shirley Kozlovich, Marie Mosca and Bonnie Jarrad. A graveside service with military honors will be held Monday, November 9th at 10:00am at the Millinocket Cemetery. A Celebration of Glenn's life will follow at Millinocket Baptist Church, 297 Penobscot Avenue, Millinocket. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 / www.woundedwarriorproject.org or The Friends of the Millinocket Memorial Library, 5 Maine Avenue, Millinocket, Maine 04462.