John W. Wiles

John W. Wiles, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, age 92, passed away March 15, 2024, at his residence in Mentor, Ohio. He was born June 12, 1931, in Rowlesburg, West Virginia to Dwight and Merle (Cathell) Wiles.

After graduation from West Virginia University with a degree in journalism, he followed the then typical exodus from the hills of West Virginia to Ohio, moving to the Painesville area. He worked at the Painesville Telegraph, began a life-long patronage of Hellriegel’s Inn and attended Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. His 63 year career as attorney in Lake County began in a firm first known as Clair and Wiles and eventually known as Wiles and Richards.

John’s law career included both private practice and dedicated government service. He served as law director for the City of Willoughby from 1992 to 2018 and also for both Concord and Painesville Townships.

Although John resided in Ohio for most of his life, West Virginia was always part of him. He told his children that they could not appreciate the song “Country Roads” and the TV show “Hew Haw” as he could. He shared his love of his home state with family and friends with many hunting, clam bake and other adventures at his aptly named hunting cabin “Cheatuck”, on the Cheat River in Tucker County, West Virginia.

John enjoyed fishing, golfing and gardening. He participated in the trips and related questionable activities of the French River Fishing Club for 50 years and he was a member of the Madison Country Club for 40 years. His vegetable gardens were large and he hosted pumpkin growing contests. He surprised his wife and grown children with later in life enthusiasm for outdoor Christmas decorations and his devotion to his beloved dog, Lizzie.

An avid Cleveland sports fan, John was one of a diminishing group of people who was alive when both the Browns and Guardians won their last championships. Indians, not Guardians, he would say.

John is survived by his wife, Karen; sons, Dave (Anne) Wiles and Dwight (Diana) Wiles; daughter, Lori (Robert Blakely) Wiles; grandchildren, Alex, Adam, Britt and Saxby; greatgrandchild Valerie; and sisters, Ramona Donaldson and Harriet Feland. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister.

The family truly appreciated John’s close friends staying in touch with him recently. Friends will be received 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Spear Mulqueeny Funeral Home, 667 Mentor Avenue, Painesville, Ohio. Afterwards, there will be a Celebration of Life at Hellreigel’s Inn.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Lake Humane Society (https://www.lakehumane.org/), Friends of the Cheat (https://cheat.org/) or the Rowlesburg Area Historical Society (https://www.rowlesburg.org/rahs.html).

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