The Shadow
John Mark “Moose” Wilcox
John Mark “Moose” Wilcox, 77, of Lewisburg, West Virginia, slipped quietly away on the morning of February 1, 2025, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
Mark, as he was known by most, was the second of three sons born to William Butler Wilcox and Helen Elaine Smith on February 28, 1947. He was preceded in death by both parents, as well as his two brothers, Dr. William B. “Bill” Wilcox II and James E. “Ed” Wilcox. He was also preceded in death by one of his two sons, Daniel Crawford Wilcox and a beloved son-in-law, Larry Wayne Rife Jr.
A 1965 graduate of Huntington High School, “Moose” as he was known by his friends, played football for the high school’s Pony Express, and helped them fight all the way to the state playoffs. Once there, they played hard and lost by one to East Bank High School. According to Mark, it was just a “really good game”.
After high school, Mark continued his education at North Carolina State, on both a football and academic scholarship. Meeting him on the football field, but now as a Wolfpack teammate, was Lee Roy Hamilton from East Bank. The newspapers had a heyday with this information. Following a career-ending football injury, Mark returned to Huntington to complete his studies at Marshall University. He graduated from Marshall in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts with a minor in education. In 1986, he completed his formal education, with a Master of Arts from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies.
According to his cousin, Kathie Metz, or “KB” as he liked to call her, Mark began drawing as a child and drew on his friends’ T-shirts and sweatshirts. By his late teens, he had begun painting hand lettered signs, to include Huntington’s Frontier Motors owned by his maternal grandfather, James C Smith. Today, his artwork and signs are scattered throughout West Virginia and may still be found at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.
Mark’s professional teaching career began in 1971 for Cabell County Schools. Although he loved teaching, it didn’t pay very well. After various side jobs to supplement his income, he relocated to Richmond, Virginia to work construction and shared an apartment with his younger brother, Ed. Eventually, the mountains called him back home. He sold his vintage two tone Buick, borrowed a pickup truck from a friend, and returned to the mountains of West Virginia.
With the birth of his first son, John Calder, Mark settled his family in White Sulphur Springs and once again began teaching and painting signs. As a teacher for Greenbrier County, he taught shop, special ed and was an assistant coach for the Renick Tigers. During his teaching career he also taught in Martin County, Florida, Dare County, North Carolina, and concluded his teaching career at Anthony Correctional Center. Mark’s students were very special to him, and he worked hard to take care of them both inside and outside of the classroom. Alongside teaching, he managed Wilcox Signs, a testament to his artistic skill and entrepreneurial spirit. Many of the schools he taught at sported at least one of his signs, somewhere on their property. Reflecting on his life’s work with characteristic humor, he often remarked: “I was pretty busy.”
Mark found joy in sports, literature, music, movies, sitcoms, politics, food and art. His quick wit and extraordinary sense of humor made every conversation memorable.
Mark is survived by his son, John C. Wilcox and daughter, Mary Kathryn “Kate” Rife and son-in-law Andrew “Andy” Wiseman. Grandchildren Peyton Lewis, Garrett M. Rife, Samuel R. Rife and Anna E. Wilcox. An uncle, J. Roger Smith and wife, Pamela “Jinx” Smith and his cousins, J Roger Smith II, Matthew W Smith, Tyler B Smith and Kathie B Metz as well as many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of his life will be held on March 1, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Carnegie Hall 611 Church Street Lewisburg, West Virginia.
John Mark “Moose” Wilcox leaves behind a legacy of dedication—to education, artistry, athletics, and laughter—that will be fondly remembered by all who knew him.
