Waynesburg—Wiley Faw, a Southern Baptist missionary to Nigeria and member of Pleasant View Baptist Church in Waynesburg, died Aug. 3 at Ephraim McDowell Hospital in Stanford. He was 89.

“He was a real down-to-Earth guy, a real go-getter,” said Kyle Page, pastor of Pleasant View Baptist. “Whole generations of Nigerians are Christians because of his and his wife’s ministry.”

Faw also served in the military during the end of World War II. He was present at the Nuremburg Trials, where Nazi officials were tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He is survived by his wife, Geneva Willis Faw, of Waynesburg; two daughters, Rhonda Faw Cassel, of Dayton, Ohio, and Mira Faw Reeves, of Waynesburg; seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

“He was light years beyond me in terms of spiritual maturity,” added Page. “I’m so thankful I got to know him.”

Faw and his wife served as missionaries to Nigeria for 36 years. Even after retiring from the mission filed, they would visit Nigeria periodically and wound up spending an additional two years in Nigeria doing agricultural work, church planting and evangelism.

Faw will be remembered for his heart for missions, other people and the Lord, his pastor said. (WR)