Mike was born November 12, 1953 to Paul and Esby (Dobbins) Wylie. He attended New Richmond High School and graduated in 1971.
Mike, having finished 8th out of thousands of applicants in a competitive hiring process, joined the Cincinnati Police Division as a Police Cadet on August 29, 1971. While earning an associate degree in Police Science at the University of Cincinnati, he served in the Communications (310 Lincoln Park Drive), Records (222 E. Central Parkway), Criminalists (also on Central Parkway), and Training Sections (Cincinnati State College). On November 17, 1974, he was promoted to Police Recruit. On February 2, 1975, he was promoted to Police Officer, issued Badge 485, and assigned to District 7 (813 Beecher Street). One year later, he was rotated to District 6 (3295 Erie Avenue). As budget shortfalls and layoffs loomed, Officer Wylie resigned on October 19, 1976.
Officer Wylie joined the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office as a Patrol Officer. During the summer of 1978, he completed and assisted in teaching a course in underwater rescue diving. Before July 1980, he transferred to Amberly Village where he served simultaneously as a police officer and firefighter. During 1981, he was the assistant commander of the Hamilton County Police Association (HCPA) Underwater Search and Recovery (USR Team). By 1984, he was promoted to Detective. In 1986, he was the HCPA USR Team Commander and an Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPATA) diving instructor. He was then promoted to Lieutenant. Lieutenant Wylie retired from Amberly during March 1995, having served law enforcement in three communities for 24 years.
Lieutenant Wylie then finished his bachelor’s degree at the Union Institute. From 1996 to 1997, he served as the Wright State University Associate Security Director and then Director of Security at the Central Trust Tower. During August 1999, as an eighteen-year Reading resident, he was appointed to the Reading School Board. By then he was working as an administrative assistant at the Waite, Schneider, Bayless, and Chesley law firm. During 2000, he assisted the College of Mount St. Joseph in establishing a police department. During 2004 and 2005, he went to Iraq for seven months to help train Iraqi police officers and served a time as Chief of East Baghdad Police Department. By 2007 he was the director of environmental and public safety at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and Police Chief in 2008 until at least 2018. His final position was Associate Director of Security and Facilities at Ohio National Life Insurance Company.
Chief Wylie was diagnosed with cancer. On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, he died peacefully at home with his wife at his side.
He was predeceased by his parents. Chief Wylie is survived by his wife of eighteen years, Amy (Arbino) Wylie; children with his first wife and friend, Kathy Tomes, Alyssa Michelle (Andy) Schneider, Boone County Deputy Sheriff Chad Michael (Nicole) Wylie, and Todd (Jennifer) Miller; and grandchildren, Rob Wilson, Jacob Wilson, Macy Wilson, Claire Wylie, and Laura Wylie; and brother, Paul (Micelle) Wylie, Jr.
Visitation will be held 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday, June 30, 2023 at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home at 5950 Kellogg Avenue. A celebration of life will be held at noon. A reception will be held afterward at Front Street Café in New Richmond.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Elizabeth Cancer Center fund or Hospice of Cincinnati.
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