Obit – Robert Thomas Wiley
Robert Thomas Wiley, 87, passed peacefully on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at his residence in Gordonsville, TN, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born on January 25, 1939, to Joseph Patrick Wiley and Robbie Draper Wiley, who both preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his only brother, Joseph Patrick Wiley II.
Tom grew up in Hartsville and graduated from Trousdale County High School in 1956. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and graduated from Tennessee Tech University in 1961, and later from MTSU with his Master’s degree.
Tom began teaching Physics at Lebanon High School in 1961. The next school year he began teaching at Castle Heights Military Academy, where he was a campus favorite for almost a decade.
Tom moved with technology through the ‘70s and ‘80s, joining DeKalb County Bank – which is now Regions Bank – to modernize its technology and eventually create a computer system that, by the early 1980s, was studied by major New York banks as they designed their corporate computer systems.
Tom later worked with DeKalb Telephone Cooperative as their Operations Manager in charge of building and maintaining their computer system. Tom later worked and completed his career with the Norvell company as their computer and operations manager.
Tom was an adventurous soul, starting as a DJ riding the Lebanon radio waves on to surfing actual waves on the white caps of the Ocoee River, from snagging his pilot’s license at 50 and flying “baby Cessnas,” as he called them, to traveling to Alaska for family visits and fishing (and close encounters with bears) and spending as much time at Disney World as possible, no matter his age. He was raised in the Catholic faith and attended the United Methodist Church for years. While living in Alexandria, Tom served as mayor, DeKalb County Fair Association president, volunteer fire chief, and president of the Lion’s Club.
Tom married Vanda Gail Sykes on August 23, 1997.
Surviving in addition to his wife of over 29 years, Vanda, are three daughters – Tomi Leann Wiley, of Lebanon, Lindsay Foster and husband John of Gordonsville, and McKenzie Burchfield of Gordonsville; six grandchildren – Draper Wiley of Gordonsville, J, Lanie, and Landrie Foster, all of Gordonsville, Nevaeh West of Cookeville, and Kelson Dawson of Lebanon.
Tom also had eight special nieces and nephews spanning from Alaska to Washington and California to Florida.
Funeral Services for Mr. Wiley were conducted from the Gordonsville Chapel of Bass Funeral Homes on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 3PM with Bro. Dickie Johnson officiating and a Eulogy delivered by Tomi Leann Wiley. Interment followed in the Union Hill Cemetery.
The family requests memorials be made to Smith County Humane Society and St. Jude.
BASS of GORDONSVILLE
