Entertaining Interview: Clarke Wiley

When Matt Jones and I stopped by Clarke Wiley’s house in the late winter of 2024, we secretly hoped for coffee and cheesecake.

Oh, boy, were we in for a treat.

I had been seeking for the most appropriate reason to write about Wiley ever since Norma Meek, a good friend to the paper and community activist, gave a brief description of the fascinating man.

When we decided on a “creators” theme for our annual Progress edition, I thought of one word: Cheesecake.

See, Wiley perfected a recipe for the delectable dessert when he prepared it on Air Force One for First Lady Nancy Reagan. It was her favorite post-entree choice.

While Matt and I did ultimately accept the generous offer to try a chilled slice — it did not disappoint, by the way — along with a cup of coffee to enjoy throughout our interview, we had to work hard to chew with our mouth closed. With every story, and the amusing way Wiley recounted the details, we realized Wiley had some truly jaw-dropping experiences.

Wiley befriended Christopher Reeve, aka “Superman,” whom he introduced to Mrs. Reagan as his cousin. Wiley resembled Reeve down to virtually every detail while aboard Air Force One, so much so that he changed his birth name from Allan to Clarke, as in Clark Kent. A British exchange steward from the Queen added an E on Steward Wiley’s name tag because it was the more common spelling in the United Kingdom.

Wiley captivated us with stories of his days in the Air Force, and then how he became the Chief Steward on the nation’s most well-known airplane during the Reagan administration.

Wiley fondly remembered his relationship with the Reagans, regaling us with both on-the-record and off-the record stories.

After his years with the President and First Lady, he ended up writing a fictional book called “The First Man To Be First Lady” under pen name Clarke Allan.

Wiley is centrally involved in the Daffodil Springtacular in Ashland, and knows how to host a mean tea party.

Wiley still works, too, as a flight attendant.

And, of course, he spoke of his cheesecake, which ended up just the icing on the cake of a quite enthralling life.