Gene L. Wyke

Gene Little Wyke, 78, of Wrightsville Beach and Charlotte, NC passed away Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at Lower Cape Fear Hospice & Care Center. He was born October 29, 1934 in Watauga County to Frank and Jean Little Wyke. He was the grandson of Poly Carp and Jean Brown Wyke of Boone, NC and Roscoe and Margaret Kerley Little of NC and Roanoke, VA.

Gene grew up in Boone and Oxford, NC. He was an alumnus of Oxford Orphanage, where he was class salutatorian at John Nichols High School. He graduated from Appalachian High School in 1952. Gene was a Boy Scout and excelled at baseball and football in high school. He played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas game in Raleigh in 1951 and the East-West All-Star football game in Greensboro in 1952. Gene graduated from Duke University in 1956 where he had ROTC and football scholarships. While at Duke, he participated in a zero gravity testing program for early astronauts. Gene married Johnnye Oglesby, July 28, 1956, in Kingsport, Tennessee. He spent his professional career with Southern Bell Telephone/Bell South, working in Greensboro NC, Wrightsville Beach, NC, New York, NY, and Charlotte, NC. He retired as Division Manager of Network Operations. He also served in the National Guard. He was preceded in death by two children, John Gene Wyke and Holli Linda Wyke; three brothers, Robert J. Wyke (Bettie) of North Wilkesboro, NC, James F. Wyke (Irma) of Doraville, GA, and D. Keith Wyke (Ala Sue) of North Wilkesboro.

Gene is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 57 years, Johnnye Oglesby Wyke of the home, a brother, Rick L. Wyke of Valdese (Sherry) and several special nieces and nephews.

Coble Ward-Smith Funeral & Cremation Service of 3915 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC 28406 (910-791-4444) is handling funeral arrangements for the family. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Monday, June 10, 2013 at the funeral home or any time at the Wyke’s home.

A memorial service will be held at Wrightsville United Methodist Church, 4 Live Oak Drive, Wrightsville Beach, NC (910-256-4471) on Tuesday, June 11th at 11:00 a.m. The service will be officiated by Pastor P.D. Midgett, Wrightsville United Methodist Church, and assisted by Dr. N. Nelson Granade, Jr. of First Baptist Church, North Wilkesboro, NC. A graveside service will be at Oleander Memorial Gardens, 1311 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington, NC 28412. Following the graveside service, a reception for family and friends will be held at the Wyke’s home.

Memorials may be made to The Compassionate Friends, Cape Fear Chapter, PO Box 7181, Wilmington, 28406 ([email protected]) 686-1953 or to the Oxford Orphanage Alumni Association, Masonic Home for Children, 600 College Street, Oxford, NC 27565. (www.oo-mhco-aa.org).

The staff of Coble Ward-Smith is honored to serve the family of Gene Little Wyke.