Gregory Alan “Greg” Wilhoit passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 in his home after bravely fighting a two year battle against a rare form of cancer, adrenalcortical carcinoma. Throughout his cancer treatment, his family, friends, and oncology team were awed by his perseverance, positive attitude and sweet disposition. Greg remained upbeat despite receiving a prognosis of 12-18 months. He managed to extend his life to nearly 26 months and showed courage, strength, and grace to the very end.
Greg was born on May 1, 1965, in Greensburg, Indiana, the son of Carl Wilhoit and Marlene (Simmonds) Hughes. He grew up in Osgood with his four brothers and one sister. In 1973, his mother, Marlene, married Theodore “Ted” Hughes. Another son was born completing the family of five boys and one girl. Greg graduated from Jac-Cen-Del High School in 1984 and also attended Indiana University at Indianapolis and studied Business Administration while working full time.
After high school, Greg moved to Indianapolis. In 1986 he was hired by Public Service of Indiana Energy, now known as Duke Energy. Greg climbed the corporate ladder quickly through a progression of promotions and landed his final role as Senior Vendor Data Analyst. Greg was responsible for the training and development of more than 1000 employees throughout North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama. More than just a boss or a manager, Greg was a mentor, coach, friend, and a guiding force who helped shape the lives of the people he hired. He felt personally responsible in leading his team members to better positions and higher income levels so that they could realize their own dreams of homeownership and financial freedom. Greg’s mentorship and leadership skills earned him the respect and admiration of those who worked for him and with him. After working for 34 years, Greg realized his dream of retiring before the age of 60. On May 1st, 2021 his 56th birthday, Greg retired from Duke Energy.
Greg worked hard and he also played hard. He enjoyed working out, playing in a softball league, snow skiing, playing tennis, camping, and kayaking. Greg loved all sporting events but favored the Indiana Pacers, Fever and Indianapolis Colts and was looking forward to the college football and basketball seasons to cheer on Purdue, ND and IU. He also loved the Indianapolis 500. He had a tradition with his brother Rick and Dad Ted; they attended over 35 Indy 500 races together. He also loved the finer things in life, good food and travel. He visited nearly every state and well over 20 countries, eager to learn about different cultures and see the world. He loved browsing specialty food stores for unique spices and unusual ingredients to create a gourmet dining experience in his home for family and friends. When he threw a party it was never frozen pizza, burgers, or fries. His Sunday Colts parties were always a center piece of his week. He truly loved entertaining and showing his family and friends his love for them through his creative dinner parties. When Greg rolled into his hometown of Osgood, his SUV was usually loaded down with goodies. If his car was parked in your driveway it meant something good was about to be prepared and a party would soon begin. Greg also had a deep appreciation for music and pop culture and he could talk to anyone on almost any current event whether it was celebrity news, politics, or world events. He also had an incredible eye for transforming any living space to show room quality. Greg also loved maintaining the landscape of his beautiful property.
Greg’s passion for his family was unwavering. He loved visiting his mother and dad in Osgood, helping them with flower and gardening projects. He was always present for all his siblings and their families. Greg had a unique relationship with each member of his family. When he visited, he took the time to sit and listen and spend quality time. He made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. One of his greatest joys was being an uncle, supporting his nieces and nephews in all their pursuits. Greg also treasured his friendships, most significantly with his lifelong best friend Doug.
After his diagnosis in September 2022, Greg hit the ground running. He started tackling his bucket list—celebrating Christmas in New York on Broadway, touring Spain, visiting Yellowstone Park with 13 family members and recently treating his entire family to an unforgettable trip to Costa Rica. He traveled the states with friends, saw a Janet Jackson concert in Nashville and visited friends in North Carolina. He also made several trips to Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Virginia. As recently as last month, he flew to France where he walked the streets of Paris, ate escargot every night, sipped wine at cafes on cobblestone streets, saw the Mona Lisa and climbed the Eiffel Tower. Greg knew his time was limited, but he never let that thought stop him from living his life as wide as possible. He was extremely grateful for his oncology team at IU Simon Cancer Center and IU’s Multiple Disciplinary Cancer Staff for their support to Greg and our family, in particular, Dr. Jennifer King and his nurse Tamara Shropshire. He affectionately called them his King and Queen.
Greg will be deeply missed by all who loved him. He is survived by his parents, Ted and Marlene Hughes of Osgood IN; sister Julie Wilhoit (Jennifer Mayer) of Los Angeles CA; brothers Rick Wilhoit of Osgood IN, Steve (Tammy) Wilhoit of Osgood IN, and Jason (Mandy) Hughes of Osgood IN; lifelong friend Doug Tillman of Indianapolis IN; nephews Mike Jr (Amber); Brandon (Brianna); and Corey; nieces Jenny (Zach), Marlana (Dennis), Danielle, Jessica, Taylor (Trayton); and Paige; as well as nine great-nieces and nephews and several cousins, aunts and uncles.
Greg was preceded in death by his father, Carl Wilhoit; brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Freda Wilhoit; and nephew, Carson Hughes.
Please feel free to join Greg’s family from 11am to 2pm on November 9, 2024, at Neal’s Funeral Home in Osgood IN. Around 2pm we will come together to share stories and celebrate Greg’s remarkable life. A private celebration for family will also be observed in January, 2025.
Online condolences may be placed at Nealsfuneralhome.net.