Former mayor Wiley Johnson passes away at 75

William Wiley Johnson, former mayor of Summerville, died Thursday, Nov. 14, after a battle with cancer. He was 75.

Johnson, who served as mayor from 2016 to 2019, was remembered during the more recent meeting of Summerville Town Council. Current Mayor Russ Touchberry and council members held a moment of silence in his honor. Council member Richard Waring IV requested the flags at all town buildings be lowered to half-staff until after Johnson’s funeral.



Johnson’s friend and campaign manager, Peter Gorman, said Johnson ran for mayor because he disagreed with how things were being done secretly. “I ran his successful campaign with the slogan ‘Save Summerville,’” Gorman said. “His campaign promises were to increase transparency and stop backroom deals with developers.

Within one week of his victory, the town council met and voted, including votes by two defeated members, to strip the new mayor of all his authority.” Gorman said members of the town council routinely challenged Johnson. “Wiley was a man of great integrity; his ambitions and plans to improve our quality of life were shut down by the ‘good ‘ol boy’ town council,” Gorman said.

“Nevertheless, he conducted his term with great dignity and authority. His death is a great loss to Summerville.” Born Jan.

22, 1949, in Augusta, Georgia, Johnson graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in chemistry. His career began in the U.S.

Air Force, where he served 24 years as a C-141 pilot, completing missions worldwide and receiving numerous awards. He retired as a lieutenant colonel before transitioning to a career as a commercial airline captain with Continental Airlines, retiring in 2008. Dickie Miler, Johnson’s friend and local businessman, said Johnson was always available to talk and was the kind of person one liked and appreciated.

“He loved Summerville and was a ferocious protector of the town against unwanted development,” Miler said. “He didn’t make any decisions to make friends, just to make Summerville a better place. He ardently believed in small-town values and transparency and felt the public should be more involved in big decisions.

He may have ruffled some feathers, but he was real, and people knew where he stood on things. He wasn’t afraid to be on the unpopular side of an issue.” Johnson was involved in civic and community groups, including the Sons of the American Revolution, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Summerville Preservation Society.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Susan Ramsey Johnson, and other family members. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 21, at Parks Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life Service is at 2 p.

m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Summerville Baptist Church, with burial to follow at Summerville Cemetery.

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