Fred Elmer Wheeler passed away January 25, 2016, peacefully in his sleep in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his wife of 39 years and his stepdaughter. He was 86 years old.
Mr. Wheeler was born in South Fayston, Vermont, on September 28, 1929, to Arba and Iva (Merchant) Wheeler. He attended Fayston and Warren schools. In 1949, he enlisted in the Army. Fred went through boot camp at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and then was restationed to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in December of 1949. He then went to Camp Stoneman in Pittsburg, California, and from there, he went to Eniwetok, where he enlarged the runway (the same one that the Enola Gay had taken off from a few years earlier). He was on the atoll in the Marshall Islands from March to October of 1950. From there he was deployed to Japan on October 22, 1950, and moved onto North Korea, then South Korea where he remained until September of 1951. When he returned stateside, he was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, until September of 1952.
He worked for Sears Roebuck in the automotive department for many years. He was also a member of the United States Air Force National Guard stationed at Barnes Airport in Westfield, Massachusetts, and was stationed in Salzburg, France, in 1961. In 1977, he married Jeannette (Goddu) (Newell). He also worked for Overnite Transportation as a long-distance truck driver. He retired to Warren, Vermont.
He is survived by his wife, Jeannette; his daughter, Joan; his stepchildren, Renee Stetson, Ruth Newell and Peter Newell; 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his mother and father; his first wife, Vivian Martell; his brother, Ira; his sisters, Ina Lamb, Lena Cooper and Arcola Ogilvie; and his son, Fredrick.
He will be cremated at Grissom's Funeral Home in Kissimmee, Florida, and buried beside his parents in Duxbury, Vermont, this summer. There will be no service.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alzheimer's and Dementia Research Center at 1506 Lake Highland Drive, Orlando, Florida 32803.
