Wiley Harris Johnson

Wiley Harris Johnson passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 80, surrounded by his wife and two children. Wiley was born on December 27, 1945, in Spartanburg, SC to Wiley H. Johnson, Sr., and Nellie Louise Proffitt and lived his life as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ and a loving son, husband, father, and grandfather to his family.

After growing up in Spartanburg, Wiley attended Clemson University, graduating in 1968 with an Economics degree, and later completed his MBA through a joint Clemson/Furman University program. While at Clemson, he played on the basketball team as a freshman and served in the ROTC.

After graduating, Wiley served on active duty for the U.S. Army, including a thirteen month deployment to South Korea in the early 1970s. After leaving active duty, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves, including serving as a battalion commander and deputy chief of staff. After twenty-eight years of service to his country with honor and pride, Wiley retired as a full Colonel in 1996. Upon completion of active duty, he worked with Duke Energy through 1979 in both Greenville, SC and Charlotte, NC, and then worked for Orders Distributing Company (later Kraus Orders Inc.) in Greenville, SC through his retirement in 2008.

In addition to his professional endeavors and service to his country, Wiley lived a life dedicated to the service of his church, community, and family. He was a member of Taylors First Baptist Church in Taylors, SC for over fifty years, where he served in many leadership positions, including as chairman of the Deacons and of the Personnel Committee. His love and service to the church extended to all areas, including teaching Sunday school, working with the children’s ministry, planning facility improvements, and serving as strategy coordinator for the global outreach ministry. Through the global outreach ministry, he organized and made many trips to Prague to support a local church plant.

He also contributed to his community through his leadership and service to the United Way of Greenville County from 1975-2013, where he served in several leadership roles during his tenure, including the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. Wiley also served on the Board of Directors of the Clemson Corps, an organization which supports Clemson University’s military heritage. Given his love for Clemson, and his experience serving in the U.S. Army, Wiley loved applying his skills and knowledge to serve Clemson University alumni and students, including veterans, ROTC students, and others with connections to the U.S. armed forces.

Wiley’s legacy is one of integrity, faith, service, and love for his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Jacquelyn England Johnson, his children, Brad Johnson (Cheryl) and Laurie Tackett (Claude), and his six grandchildren, Luke Tackett, Alex Tackett, Whitney Johnson, Natalie Johnson, Abigail Tackett, and Judson Tackett.

In addition to spending time with his family, Wiley loved the outdoors and was an avid fisherman. Also, unbeknownst to most, he was a talented artist and musician who loved to draw and play the ukulele.

A service will be held on January 30, 2026, at Taylor’s First Baptist Church. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. with a service to follow at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the “Engage Offering” with Taylors First Baptist Church to support global missions, either at https://taylorsfbc.org/resources/give/ or by check to Taylors First Baptist Church, 200 W. Main Street, Taylors, SC, 29687 (memo line “Engage Offering”).