Richard Baylus (Mickey) Wiggins

DURHAM Richard Baylus “Mickey” Wiggins passed away August 14, 2012. Richard was born to Dora Jones Wiggins and Berry Samuel Wiggins, June 9, 1926, in Durham, NC, but lived in Durham, NC, most of his life. He was generally known as “Mickey” Wiggins through his work as an electrician from 1945 until 2007, including several years of employment at Modern Electric in the 1950’s and 30 years at Liggett and Meyers. Mickey was tireless in his work. While serving as an employee at Liggett, he was also self-employed evenings and weekends as Wiggins Radio and TV repair in the 1950’s and Wiggins Electric, which he created in 1967 and ran as a sole proprietorship until 2007. Although Mickey spent several years at Wright’s Refuge orphanage of Durham and attained only an 8t grade education through East Durham Jr. High, he was highly accomplished in his trade and was proud to have achieved 32 degree Mason. Mickey was a self-taught man who had a milk route in East Durham after leaving school at age 13, apprenticed as an electrician in the Norfolk ship yards during WWII, completed electronics certification by correspondence school in 1956 through DeVry Tech. Inst, and studied to pass his NC State electrical contractors exam in 1967 through his own initiative. He was an active member of Holloway Street Baptist Church and later Three Rivers Baptist Church. Mickey was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 50 years, Angie Neisler Wiggins, in 1994. He now leaves behind a brother, Samuel Wiggins of Phoenix, Arizona; a sister Doris Harris of Portsmouth, Virginia; a son Dr. Richard C. Wiggins and spouse, Nancy Dove Wiggins of Apex, NC; three grand children, John D. Hall of Orlando, Fl; Christine Wiggins Balisle of Fairfax, VA; and Richard D. Wiggins, USMC; three great grand children, and numerous nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Woodlawn Memorial Park, officiated by Chaplain Phil Wiggins. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m., before the service at Hudson Funeral Home.