of Conway, AR
February 27, 1933 - September 11, 2024
Richard Ernest ''Skip'' Wheeler died on September 11, 2024 in Conway, AR. He was born in Westmore, VT on February 27, 1933 and was preceded in death by his parents, Percival and Irene Wheeler; a younger sister, Claudia; step daughter, Melinda K. Watts and his former wife, Patricia Brown of Barton, VT and his wife, Judy Ann Wheeler of Conway, AR.
He is survived by his son, Kevin John Wheeler of St. Johnsbury, VT; sister, Ann Marie Green of Napa, CA and Willoughby Lake; brothers, Edward C Wheeler of Hebron, CT and Alton D Wheeler of Orleans, VT. He also leaves behind stepson, Michael Watts; step grandson, John Riley both of Arkansas and step granddaughter, Malia K. Watts of Conway, AR.
Skip grew up in Millbrook Village, Westmore and went to school in the one-room school on the east side of Lake Willoughby, graduated from Lyndon Institute in 1951 then attended Norwich University for 3 years. He joined the Vermont Air National Guard in 1954 and became an F-86 jet fighter pilot in 1956 then returned to the VT ANG while earning a BA in Economics from The University of Vermont in 1959 and an MBA from Webster College. He flew with the Arizona ANG and worked for Dun & Bradstreet until 1964 when he returned to active duty in the USAF at Dover AFB, Delaware and amassed 10,000 hours of flying time, mostly in multi-engine aircraft until retirement in 1983. He had assignments in 1966-67 at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam,1973-78 Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, Travis AFB 1967-1973 and 1978-1980 and Clark AB, Philippines through 1983.
On retirement Skip & Judy lived in Bellingham, Washington and Corpus Christi, TX until 2002 when they moved to Fairfield Bay, then in 2017 to Conway, AR. He was a Life Member of Disabled American Veterans, Military Officer Association of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4513 and The American Legion Post 333, Fairfield Bay. A military plaque will be placed in Lakeview Cemetery, Willoughby Lake, Vermont next Memorial Day where he will finally settle down.