Friends Mourn Maj. Philip Wise
By ART LIMANN
POSTED: December 31, 2009
The death of Salvation Army Maj. Philip Wise - who was gunned down in North Little Rock, Ark., on Christmas Eve - was shock to all who knew him.
Wise was remembered by his friends Wednesday for his more than six years of work with the Moundsville Salvation Army and as a member of the Moundsville Rotary Club. The 40-year-old Weirton native was fatally shot during a robbery while his three children looked on. They were returning to the Salvation Army's North Little Rock office to file paperwork after dropping off two bell ringers on the final day of the organization's annual kettle drive. He and his wife, Cindy, who also is a Salvation Army major, adopted their children - ages 4, 6 and 8 - last year.
Police believe two black men dressed in black clothing, both armed with handguns, approached Wise and his children in the Salvation Army's parking lot. One of the men reportedly demanded money from Wise before the fatal shot was fired.
Nancy Yoho, who worked as a secretary for the Salvation Army during Wise's time in Moundsville between January 2000 and June 2006, now serves as the unit's office manager.
"He was captain when he was here," Yoho said of Wise. "He was just recently promoted to major."
She recalled Wise as a "very good and quiet man who loved the Lord and the work of the (Salvation) Army." She also remembered that he was devoted to his favorite sports teams.
"He loved all aspects of the Army and what he was doing," she said. "It's just hard to describe him. He was a big ol' Dallas Cowboys fan and a Mountaineer fan. He was just a good person."
According to Yoho, Wise loved to help people and loved music. She pointed out that he played the tuba and would bring his instrument into the office to play on occasion.
"For this kind of thing to happen was just unbelievable to me," she said of his murder, which reportedly occurred during a robbery. "If they had just asked him for the money, he would have given it to them. It doesn't make sense.
"He touched a lot of people's lives," she continued. "It's hard to put into words. They were like family to us. It (his death) made it hard for us to enjoy Christmas. It was a bittersweet Christmas. A lot of church people have called to ask if it was actually true.
"I talked with his wife, Cindy, Sunday," Yoho added. "She said she and the kids were holding up pretty well. He always loved children. They adopted the three children, who were siblings, about a year ago. Both were dedicated to the work they did. They were getting ready to come back to Weirton."
Linda Miller, who served with Wise on the Board of the Moundsville Salvation Army, called Wise a "hard worker," citing his efforts with the Moundsville kettle campaign
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