Virginia (Jones) Wiley

Virginia Jones Wiley was born on September 2, 1931, in Camden, South Carolina. She was the daughter of the late Bennie Jones and the late Eva Boykin Jones. She entered into eternal rest at home, on the morning of October 29, 2022, following complications from her battle with Parkinson’s disease.   She was surrounded by her family.

She graduated from Jackson High School in 1950 as salutatorian, and was also awarded a scholarship to attend Benedict College. She studied accounting at the Applied Technology Campus in Camden, SC from 1972 to 1974. She earned a South Carolina Real Estate license in 1976.

Mrs. Wiley had always been an active member of the community.  She began in the late 1950s, in the Kershaw County School System when her children first started school. She volunteered as a heath room attendant at Wateree Elementary School, secretary of the Lugoff Elementary School PTO and was also a math and reading tutor.

During the early 1960s, she began working with the Democratic Party of Kershaw County. She was a grass roots worker, a precinct volunteer and was appointed a delegate to the county and state conventions.

Mrs. Wiley had been a member of Hadoth Chapter #138 Order of Eastern Star PHA for 48 years. She served as Worthy Matron for six years and also as Associate Matron.  She joined the Camden Kershaw County Branch of the NAACP in the early 1960s. She served as an Executive Committee member, second and third Vice President and as Program Chairperson of the Freedom Fund Banquet for seven years. Mrs. Wiley volunteered for several years at the NAACP State Conference office in Columbia, South Carolina in preparation for the State Conferences.

Mrs. Wiley was also a member of the Education Committee of the Kershaw County Black Caucus in the mid 1990s.  Mrs. Wiley assisted in the creation and early development of Habitat for Humanity for Kershaw County from 1991 to 1998.  In 1993, she had the distinct honor of driving the first nail into the first house obtained by Habitat for Humanity in Kershaw County.

Additionally, she served two terms on the Kershaw County Human Relations Committee from 1987 to 1991 and worked with the Kershaw County Archives Commission from 1989 to 1991.

Mrs. Wiley was a faithful member of Unity United Methodist Church in Lugoff, SC. She served in a number of positions including: Chairperson of the Administrative Board, Chairperson of the Pastor Parish Relationship Committee, Anniversary Committee Chairperson, Finance Committee member United Methodist Women and church Historian. She was instrumental in the establishment of Unity United Methodist Church, through the merger of Ephesus and Smyrna churches as well as in the planning and construction of the new sanctuary. Mrs. Wiley was also a tutor and mentor to students attending Unity.

Mrs. Wiley was preceded in death by her husband, Presley Pickett Wiley, Sr., one son, Ralph Laverne Wiley, one sister, Marie J. Dunziellas, and two brothers, Frank Jones and Boykin Jones.

She leaves to cherish her memories, one son: Presley Pickett Wiley, Jr., four daughters: Carolyn Wiley Woods (Otis); Connie Wiley DeRamus; Cristine Marie Wiley; Claudia Wiley-Coulibaly (Ousmane); a special daughter, Betty Fleming Johnson; grandson, Jarrett Wiley Jackson (Victoria); granddaughters, Savannah Cunningham and Ramata Coulibaly; great granddaughters, Jade, Joelle and Joy Jackson, and a host of other family and friends.

Her hobbies were reading, solving intricate Sudoku number puzzles, crossword puzzles and watching Jeopardy.

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