NOVEMBER 1, 2017
REMEMBERING BRESLINWILEI
PHOTO COURTESY OF WILEY'S FACEBOOK
DIEGO PINEDA I COKIRIBJKfi t
HE WAS ALWAYS A HELPING HAND TO ANYONE THAT NEEDED IT.
HE ALWAYS HAD A CONTAGIOUS SMILE ON HIS FACE,
TJ EVANS
WILEY'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND
Top left: Wiley adjusts
his uniform during a
Club Baseball game.
Top right: Mike,
Georgia and Kalen
Wiley smile during
the “Gathering of
Friends’'as memories
of Breslin Wiley are
told by his friends
Oct.29.
Bottom left: Eion
Club Baseball
teammates hug after
the “Gathering of
Friends.”
Bottom right: Mike
and Georgia Wiley
smile with Breslin on
campus.
DIEGO PINEOAI CONTRIBUTOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILEY FAMILY
WILEY I from cover
But his friends and family
didn’t focus on that. Instead, they
celebrated his life.
dhey chuckled at his music
tastes, the way he blasted the rap
per Gucci Mane’s songs through
a portable speaker. They laughed
at his antics when he woke up a
neighbor in his Danieley pod last
year to make him go party.
And they remembered how he
spent his last night alive at the Ep
silon Delta chapter of Delta Del
ta Delta Sorority’s formal, where
he jokingly combed a girl’s hair
with a fork. One student said she
held his phone for a period of the
night. Seeing the notifications on
his phone was a reminder to her
of how many people wanted to be
around him.
But the majority of the evening
was silent. At times, the only audi
ble noises were the sniffles of those
who loved him and the sirens of
a fire truck outside. Tissue box
es were scattered throughout the
room, most empty by the end.
Wiley was a catcher for Elon’s
Club Baseball team. His team
mates showed the most emotion.
[Wiley] was an unbelievable kid
who we really loved,” said former
Club Baseball teammate, Alex Day
T6. “He always had his friends’
back on and off the field and was
one of our closest friends.”
Wiley majored in engineering
physics. Junior Bridgette Harrell
met Wiley last year, and connect
ed again the first day of class this
year. On that day, Harrell ran into
Wiley while she walked to McMi-
chael, and he offered to help her
with her physics course home
work.
On Saturday, Harrell heard of
his death when she saw two of
her coworkers read the email Jon
Dooley, Vice President for Student
Life, sent to the Elon community.
She said she ‘Tost it.” One of her
friends was gone.
And she cannot get him back.
“It’s just a huge hole in my heart
because he was a happy-go-lucky
person,” Harrell said. “I think I
can speak for a lot of people when
I say that it’s a shock. I don’t know
what the timeline is in the recov
ery because it was such a traumat
ic event. Right now ... I want to
focus on the good memories.”
FUNERAL SERVICES
When: Friday, Nov. 3, 3 p.m.
Where: Sts. Constantine and
Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral,
30 Malvern Ave. Richmond, Va.
23221.
VIEWING
When: Thursday,
Nov. 2, 4-8 p.m.
Where: Bennett Funeral Home
14301 Ashbrook Parkway,
Chesterfield, Va. 32832
The feeling of extended grief
beyond Elon. Wiley’s family hails
from Moseley, Virginia, and
friends and family there expressed
their feelings as well.
TJ Evans, a childhood friend of
Wiley, remembered Wiley’s posi
tivity whem they were younger.
I grew up with Breslin ever
since I was in elementary school,
and he was always the one to put
out a positive vibe,” Evans said.
“He was always a helping hand to
anyone that needed it. He always
had a contagious smile on his
face.”
According to Victoria Knobel,
another friend of Wiley’s from
Virginia, the news of his death was
completely unexpected.
Everyone from our hometown
IS in complete shock at the mo
ment,” Knobel said. “Breslin was
one of the most genuine, funny,
caring people I know. You never
saw him without a smile on his
race, so hearing this news is very
saddening.”
Wiley’s death is the third death
of an enrolled Elon student in the
past two academic years. Demitri
yiison, a former football player
diedNov.il, 2015. On Sept. 10
2016, Derek Winton died. And
after each tragedy, the Elon com
munity responded with sensitivity
and grief; but they did it together.
Harrell said that is one of the best
things about Elon.
“We process these things to
gether,” Harrell said. “Sometimes
you don’t know about people, and
that can be scary. But we all need
to check up on each other. We have
to do that with ourselves, too.”
Fuller said she is “proud that
the community is able to show a
vulnerable side”.
“People are not afraid to show
that they really loved Breslin and
that they really care,” she said.
“That’s really special.”
While the community contin
ues to mourn, Harrell said it is up
to everyone to continue his legacy.
“He’s loved by so many people
and he was so smart — smart
er than he probably gave himself
credit for,” Harrell said. “I hate
that I didn’t get to say goodbye,
but I know there will be some
point where we’re all going to see
him again.”
Anton L. Delgado, assistant ne\vs
editor, contributed reporting.
I