Emily Niles Wiley went home to be with the Lord on December 3rd, 2021, after courageously fighting breast cancer. She was born on September 28th, 1964, in Jackson, Mississippi, although she spent most of her youth in Meridian. She attended the University of Southern Mississippi, obtaining a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology. While at USM she was active in Chi Omega, making lifelong friends. Emily had a tremendous love for serving children and spent her professional career working in school systems in both Pearl, Mississippi and Flower Mound, TX. She especially loved working with children with special needs, demonstrating a servant’s heart to love as Christ loved that would be a hallmark of the way she lived her life.
After meeting in college, Emily married Robert Wiley on December 20, 1986. God blessed them through 35 years of marriage, with the last 23 years spent in Birmingham, Alabama. The family grew to include Jason and daughter-in-law Lauren, Stephen, and Melanie. She lovingly and joyfully devoted her time to family, and her proudest moments were always those that involved her children. Family was an important part of her life, including her extended family in Mississippi. The foundation of Emily’s life was her faith and relationship to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and she spent many years serving and utilizing her gifts to glorify God. At Lakeside Baptist Church she served and taught Sunday School in the preschool/children’s ministry, youth ministry, and with young adults. She was also active as a Mentor in the MOPS Ministry. She loved participating in the Birmingham-Shelby chapter of Community Bible Study for the last 20 years, serving in leadership roles as Director of Children and Youth Ministry, Core Group Leader, Senior Leader, and Prayer Chair. Throughout these activities, her life provided a lasting example of how to be sweet, kind, and caring, and how to act as a faithful prayer warrior for others.
Emily was preceded in death by her father, Jason Niles, and mother, Mabel Niles. She is survived by her husband, Robert; children Jason (Lauren), Stephen, and Melanie.
The family will hold a visitation on December 9th from 12:00 PM-2:00 PM at Lakeside Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM at Lakeside, followed by a graveside service at Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham, AL. Memorial donations can be made to Alabama Oncology Foundation (aocares.org) or Birmingham-Shelby Chapter of Community Bible Study (birminghamshelby.cbsclass.org)
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.southernheritagefunerals.com for the Wiley family.
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