Village of Ashville, Ohio

 

BY STEVEN COLLINS Circleville Herald Senior Reporter

ASHVILLE — Ashville Mayor Chuck Wise was was laid to rest yesterday evening.

Wise, 63, died on Monday following an illness. He had served as mayor since Jan. 1, 2001.

In addition to being mayor, Wise was a former Police Chief of Ashville and had served on the Harrison Township Fire Department. He was a 1977 graduate of Circleville High School. He then wenton to the Police Academy and the Fire Academy and became an EMT.

Wise was a member of the Harrison Township Fire Department from 1982 to 1985. He received his firefighter certification while volunteering at Pickaway Township Fire Department in southern Pickaway County before moving to Ashville.

From there he went on to serve his communityof Ashville as Police Chief and then Mayor being the longest serving Mayor and Police Chief in Ashville history.

In 2006, Chuck started with the Ohio State Highway Patrol as an Electronic Technician. Chuck was an active member of Village Chapel Church, helping with AWANA and serving on the Visitation Team and had also volunteered with Operation Christmas Child. He was a member of the Ashville Community Men’s Club and had received the Distinguished Service Award. He was also a past Boy Scout Leaderwith Troop 159. 

 

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The late Ashville Mayor Chuck Wise with his Wife Sherri.

His wife Sherri, called her late husband a good guy who loved the community. “Sometimes I was jealous of that,” she said. “My kids told him he was an Amazing Dad before he passed, I sure hope he heard them say that. They alsotold me they never felt second fiddle to any of his jobs, always made them feell ike they were the most important in his life. His love for me was very unconditional and I know how tough I am to love, so he was a great man.”Sherri Wise said she’s learned more about her husband in the last severaldays since he’s passed.“I have heard stories this week that he had never told me about how he hadhelped people in some way or another,” she said. “He was humble in that wayand was not a haughty person, caring for people the best way he knew howand not asking for any accolades. I only hope my kids and I can honor hislegacy and keep it going.”

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Chuck Wise (left) performing the oath of office for police chief Jeff George in 2018.

It was one of many such ceremonieshe conducted during his more than 20 years in office.

Kevin Pees, Village Kevin Pees, Village Chapel pastor who led Wise’s funeral, said Wise welcomed him in personally.

“When I first started at Village Chapel, Chuck scheduled an appointment to meet with me,”he said. “We sat downand he was intentional about sharing the story of how Jesus had become Savior and Lord for his life. As we swapped stories, he paused and was very direct saying something like, ‘Pastor,I know it can be hard tocome into a communityand start fresh especially as a pastor. I want you to know I support you and am with you.

’”Pees said when his father was sick, Wise and acouple other members of the church were there to be with him.“We had just trained three people to do pastoral care visits for the church family and Chuck was one of those people,” he said. “At this moment, they had not been commissioned to the church family. It was a very new project when my dad had a major heart attack and was air lifted from northwest Ohio to the OSU Medical Center. Even thoughthey had never met my dad, Chuck and two menfrom church stepped upand provided pastoral care to my dad and to me. Every time dad visitsthe church he asks if the big guys who visited him are there. As I introduced this new ministry to the church family, I was able to say, ‘These people can care for you.They have cared for my dad and for me.

’”Pees outlined Wise’smany acts of service he performed in the church, including Operation Christmas Child shoe box ministry, being a lead usher, being a leader in the AWANA children’s ministry on Wednesday nights and on the visitation team making calls and visits to people in the hospital or homebound.“When we had big events to pack shoe boxes of Christmas gifts for children around the world, Chuck would get excited like a young child himself.

” Pees said.“He sacrificially served traveling to Boone,North Carolina on annualtrips to help process hundreds and thousands of shoeboxes.”Pees said Many peoplewill miss Chuck’s way of quietly caring for people and helping them behind the scenes.“He had a big heart for the community,” he said.

Late Ashville Mayor Chuck Wise in uniform before the 4th of July Festival in 1982.

Nelson Embrey, aformer village council member who was elevated to Mayor upon Wise’s death, had worked with Wise for many years, took a slight deviation from the usual prayer at Ashville Village council and took a moment of silence Monday to honor Wise and his memory. “We know where Chuck is at because he’s been a Christian all his life, very active in the Community United Methodist Church, ”Embrey said before his prayer. During that meeting, as his first act as mayor, Embrey closed the offices on Feb. 3 for the funeral and ordered all flags lowered to half staff in Wise’s honor. Later in the week, Embrey reflected on his history and friendship with Wise. They both started working for the village about the sametime as Wise was police chief and Embrey was the clerk/treasurer at the time.“We had a good association and we worked together even since I resigned as the fiscal officer and joined council, ”he said. “It’s one of those good relationships and he always called me for advice on things and I don’t think we ever had any great disputes.

He was a great guy to work for. Very community minded and well liked. ”Embrey said there were a couple of instances he could specifically recall in which Wise made a decision that was in the best interest for the village that wasn’t in his best interest personally.“He kept reminding people that we are the employees of the people of Ashville,” Embrey said. “You always had to keep that in mind as the administration function and as someone on Council. We serve the people of Ashville.”Embrey said the village has been working to keep Ashville small and Wise embodied everything he did.“He always worked with the community club and the Viking Festival,”he said. “As mayor the chief responsibility is the safety and well being of the community so you’re in charge of the you’re in charge of the police department. We want to keep a nice rural community as best we can but also knowing in some way or another with all the developmentyou’ve got to grow andyou have to meld the two together.  I think Chuck did a great job with all of that.

”Franklin Christman,village administrator,spoke about Wise’s dedication.“Whether Mayor Wise was dealing with an individual in the Village or the topic that involves the JEDD, CEDA, Pickaway County, HarrisonTownship and/or the State of Ohio, he gave it the same concern and attention, because he cared, and it ultimately is all connected,” Christman said.In a statement the Harrison Township Fire Department said Wise had a passion for everything he was involved with and firefighting was no different. While at Harrison he attended classes and earned his EMT certification. He was an active memberand a great asset to the department.Retired Harrison Township Fire Captain Jim Smith said, “Chuck was always a people-person and he communicated well with all those hecame into contact withon squad runs. He hada passion for the people of Ashville and HarrisonTownship. He cared deeply and at the end of his fire department career he continued serving the community as an Ashville police officer.”

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