Reginald Paul Wiley Jr.

On January 22, 1992 in Spring, Harris County, Texas, Reginald P. Wiley Jr., the first son of Reginald P. Wiley Sr. and Tiffany Vaughan Wiley, was born. In his grade school years, Reginald showed great academic promise as an honor student in Spring’s Independent School District, and developed a love for the sport of baseball as a catcher in Northwest 45’s Little League. Reginald grew into academic and leadership excellence as a student in Spring High School, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class, and held positions as President of the 2010 Class, President of the National Honor Society, President of the Spanish National Honor Society, and Editor of the Spring High School Newspaper. His impressive achievements in his community earned him admission to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., on an academic scholarship.

At Georgetown University, Reginald grew into a role model, discovered his sense of place in the world, fostered a passion for service and social engagement, and cultivated a lifelong community of friends and mentors. Reginald heeded the call to serve his community throughout his years at Georgetown, where he tutored elementary school children in D.C.’s schools, and mentored first-generation Georgetown students in their freshman year. Reginald also seized opportunities to expand his cultural horizons through his participation in a selective study abroad program in Rome, Italy, and his choreography and dancing for Georgetown’s Latin Dance Group, Ritmo y Sabor. Determined to become a leader in his community, Reginald pursued opportunities as a Trip Leader for Habitat for Humanity and a Worker Justice Alternative Spring Break. Reginald graduated with Georgetown University’s Class of 2014, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and minors in History and Sociology.

After graduating, Reginald came back to Houston, where he served his communities as an educator and a mentor, and built homes with his immediate family and partner. Reginald became part of the EMERGE family in 2015, where he managed college preparation and admissions programming for some of Houston’s most talented, underserved high school students. Reginald’s bonds with his students, and his commitment to their success helped to jumpstart their access to opportunities at some of our nation’s most prestigious institutions of higher education. Reginald’s commitment to advancing justice in underserved communities was to continue in San Antonio through an environmental defense organizing position with a political consulting firm.

Reginald departed this earthly life on July 8, 2017. Preceding him in death were his great-grandmother, Ella Rogers (Mama Dullum); grandmother, Gayle Vaughan; grandfathers, Melvin Wiley and Dalton Vaughan; uncles, Johnny Wiley, Wilbert Wiley, and Douglas Wiley; and great-aunts, Helen Farris, and Connie M. Jones.

He leaves behind to cherish fond memories his parents, Tiffany Wiley and Reginald P. Wiley Sr. in Spring; siblings, Chelsea Vaughan and Calob Wiley in Spring; sister/cousin, Sharee Wiley (Lee Lee) in Houston; grandmother, Connie J. Wiley in Houston; great uncle, Fritz Jones; uncles, Billy Wiley (Vicki) in Spring, Bobby Wiley (Anetra) in Tomball, Tony Wiley (Janice) in Houston; aunts, Bridgette Wiley, Wanda Wiley, and Mae Helen Moore in Houston, Mark Vaughan and Dillon Vaughn (Linda); partner, Alejandro Freeman (Muñoz Ballesteros) in Houston; and a host of other cousins, relatives, friends, and students.