Myles Alan "Johnson" Wilder

Myles Alan “Johnson” Wilder, age 23, was born on February 28, 2000, in Little Rock, Arkansas and passed away on Saturday, April 1, 2023.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Rufus and Doris Wilder.

He is survived by his parents, Quentin and LaDonna Spence; two brothers, Austin Wilder of Glenwood, and Logan (Laiken) Spence of Morrilton; one sister, Amy (Brandon) Hickman of Prairie Grove; his father, Lavoyce Wilder; four nephews, Aiden Spence, Ryan, Luke, and Oliver Hickman; one niece, Gatsby Wilder; his grandparents, Donald and Sally Shirley and R.W. and Wanda Davidson; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends who became family over the years.

Myles’s Christian faith started from birth, and he was later baptized into New Beginnings Outreach church as a young man, he often liked getting into debates about different passages from the bible. He was recently ordained into the ministry and performed one marriage.  His life of service to others reflected his Christian upbringing.

Myles began working for Caddo River Canoe Rental at 14, and he fell head over heels in love with this job, he often told us he would own this company someday. At 18 he started his grown-up career with RBS on Lake Ouachita, later transferring to Lake Greeson and getting his CDL license at 19. In 2022, he took ownership of Citi Pawn in Glenwood and quickly flourished in this career also.

Myles had an early cancer diagnosis and had been cancer free since he was 13 months old. He knew what a gift life was, and he lived it fast and loud. He squeezed the most out of every day, living his life to the extreme and fullest he possibly could.  All the hospitals in his early life meant Myles never met a stranger, and he was either going to flirt with you or aggravate you, but he was always going to make you laugh. He developed friendships easy, and he was always just a phone call away, whether you needed him to drive 11 hours for car trouble or to go fishing. He was “Uncle Myles” to not only his siblings’ kids, but to many friends and extended family. Myles loved working and being on the Caddo River, which was probably his favorite place to be. He waited all winter for opening weekend at the river. He loved floating the river, gaming with his buddies, being ornery, chasing the ladies, crappy old cars, and fishing. He touched the lives of many, and we are thankful for the 22 extra years we got with him.

The family invites you to join them for a Celebration of Myles’ life at 4:00 PM, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at the Caddo River Canoe Rental Take Out Point beneath the new Glenwood Bridge, with Bro. Tim Jordan officiating.  Bring a lawn chair or just let down your tailgate.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in loving memory of Myles, to an account which has been set up for his family at Southern Bank Corp; or to Princess Nora Foundation, https://noraswarriors.com or the Make A Wish Foundation or Arkansas Blood Services.

Arrangements are under the direction of Smith Family Funeral Home, Glenwood, 209 North Third Street, Glenwood, Arkansas 71943. 

Guest registry is at www.smithfamilycares.com.