Mike Wylie was the greatest supporter of the mental health consumer movement. in the past. He fought to get us a nice office, various grants, projects with the state evaluate services and hire many consumers, and help us obtain the grant we have now to work with inmates maxing out at our prisons. He worked with us more than most others to establish a peer mentored organization.

Dr. Alexander Michael Wylie passed away as the result of chronic illness on March 23, 2023 in his home in Honolulu, HI at the age of 66 years old. He was born on October 1, 1956 in Norfolk, NE. He is predeceased by his parents, Dr. Alexander Albert and Mrs. Jean Ehler Wylie of Foley, AL. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Joan Hifumi Wylie and his two sisters, Lynn (Dr. Kevin Crowley) of Gulf Shores, AL and Sue (Gary Johnson) of Foley, AL. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and their children. A service will be held at Punchbowl National Cemetery at 11:30 on October 2, 2023. Several private services will also be conducted in parts of the country where he lived.

Arrangements Provided By:
Oahu Mortuary

If you would like to see the obituary, go to Oahu Cemetery and look for him by the date he passed, which March 23

Dr. Alexander Michael Wylie, born on October 1, 1956, passed away as the result of a chronic illness on March 23, 2023 in his home in Honolulu, HI. He was 66 years old. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Joan Tagashira Wylie, two sisters, Lynn Wylie Crowley (Kevin) and Susan Wylie Johnson (Gary) and nephews (Michael Crowley, Colin and Cole Herr, Spencer and Zachary Johnson), nieces (Meghan Crowley and Kelsey Hall), as well as their families. Dr Wylie, or “Mike” as everyone knew him, met his wife Joan met when they were both working at the Kamehameha Early Education Project in the early 1980s while he began his internship under behaviorist Dr. Israel Golddiamond. After being awarded his PhD, his first position was at Mankato State College where, with the help of longtime friend Michael Layng, built the beginnings of an animal experiment laboratory. While his first research laboratory was functional, it did not meet rigorous federal guidelines for animal research, and Mike wanted one that met all federal guidelines. After several winters in Minnesota, Mike, who was always a voracious reader, had acquired many books about the history of exploration of the Pacific islands, and about their indigenous cultures and their contemporary societal problems. With every subsequent Mankato winter, he pored over job listings for clinical psychologists in the Monitor, the journal of the American Psychological Association. He focused his sites on moving to a warmer climate in a tenure track position. When one opened up at the University of Guam (UOG), Mike began establishing a communication conduit with Dr. Mary Spencer, Chair of the Search Committee. After lengthy back and forth negotiations, Mike, Joan, and their Maine coon, TC, moved to Guam. During his time in Guam, he taught classes, conducted research, and provided community service as a UOG faculty member in the Psychology Program from Fall 1989 and into the late 1990’s. He was able to design the animal research lab as he had envisioned, which is still in use by the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Former students, colleagues and staff will remember his warm personality and inspiring mentoring. However, after a decade in Guam, it was time to move back home to Honolulu. Throughout his life, Mike loved Major League Baseball. In every city and state he lived he became an avid fan of the local team. Growing up in Watertown SD, he attended as many MN Twins games as his parents allowed. He followed the Astros when he went away to the University of Houston at Clear Lake; then became an avid fan of both the Chicago White Sox and Cubs when he moved from Bridgeport on the South Side to the Near North near Lakeview. In addition to baseball, Mike learned to play bass guitar in high school and through the years, became an accomplished rhythm guitarist as well. In college he was introduced to Formula 1 racing, a hobby he enjoyed for the rest of his life. Mike secured a position with Hawai’i State Department of Health (DOH) in the Adult Mental Health Division before he moved to Hawai’i. With support from many individuals in DOH, Mike thrived as he experienced the most productive time in his career. He developed compassion for improving the lives of people with severe and persistent mental illness. With cooperation from stakeholders associated with Adult Mental Health, Mike developed the Mental Health Service, Research, Evaluation and Training group (MHSRET) which, during its 13 year existence, brought some $5.2 million to Hawai’i in federal grants and additional monies from countless NGOs. During MHSRET’s heyday, the Clubhouse system thrived, as MHSRET served as a nexus for the exchange of information among direct service providers, funding/reimbursement agencies, and the consumers of services, who are adults with severe and persistent mental illness. He guided MHSRET to use data to evaluate mental health services for the betterment of people with mental illness. He advocated for consumers to receive appropriate services, and promoted more opportunity for socializing among consumers as well as other interested service providers. He enabled stakeholders, including consumers, to attend Adult Mental Health conferences both here and on the mainland. During his time in Hawaii, he also served as a faculty member in the University of Hawaii Clinical Psychology Program, where he advocated for more inclusion of students from Hawai’i. He supported the idea of recruiting local students, who would stay in Hawaii and further improve mental health services here. With his health waning, Dr. Wylie settled into an early retirement. Commitment of his ashes will be held at 11:30 a.m. on October 2, 2023 at Punchbowl National Cemetery. The family requests that attendees dress in formal aloha wear.

Bud Bowles, MSW, CPRP, HCPS
Executive Director,
United Self Help
277 Ohua Ave, #205H
808-947-5558 (also warm line)
toll free:1-866-866-HELP (4357)
Honolulu, Hi 96815
director@unitedselfhelp.org
www.unitedselfhelp.org