Patrick Michael Wheeler

Patrick Michael Wheeler passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 20, 2026. He soldiered on for fifteen years with Parkinson’s disease and in later years dementia. Patrick was born in Madison, Wisconsin to Dr. Robert Murray Wheeler and Hazel Crilley Wheeler. He joined two brothers Bob and Rick. Patrick attended Madison West High School graduating in 1965. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and History from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh in 1969. Patrick was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. He earned an MBA in Corporate Finance & Banking from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, in 1979. He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany from 1969-1971.

Career

Following his military service, Patrick moved to California with the help of his older brother Bob and sister-in-law Nan who helped him network into the banking/finance industry. Following a management training program through United California Bank, he served as a commercial loan officer, rising through the ranks to become assistant manager and manager at several branches in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He continued in the banking/finance industry following a quality of life move to Portland, Oregon in 1980. Patrick worked for Oregon Bank for several years which was bought by Bank of America in 1986. He later worked for First Interstate Bank of Oregon and then Wells Fargo Bank as a member of the Small Business Lending Center team.

He would go on to develop his own financial management consulting business and later partnered with two other executives to form Synergy Consulting Group. He became the CEO of Digital Connex, a regional consumer products installation company in 2004.

Family

He met the love of his life Maureen McNulty in 1975 when they worked at a United California Bank branch in downtown Los Angeles. An invitation to sail on Patrick’s Ranger 23 sailboat in Marina del Rey sparked the relationship. Patrick joined a large, extended family when they married in 1978. They shared a love of sailing, travel, cooking and the arts. They welcomed daughters Shannon Therese in 1979 in California and Erin Michelle in 1982 in Portland, Oregon. Patrick was an engaged father, who deeply loved his girls. He encouraged and supported them in swimming, soccer and tennis. The family would spend summers camping and exploring Oregon state parks with several other families. These are cherished memories. Patrick was blessed with two grandchildren, Cole and Liam (Shannon & son-in-law Woojay Poynter). Patrick and Maureen were married for 48 years.

Faith

Patrick was part of a weekly early morning ‘Tuesday Brothers’ group of men who have met for more than 30 years. These dedicated men sustained each other by sharing their faith, music, joys and challenges. It was something Patrick was committed to even as dementia set in. Patrick was an active volunteer at Holy Trinity Catholic Church and St. Pius X Catholic Church in the Beaverton area. At St. Pius X, he and Maureen led the pre-marriage preparation program for couples for several years. He was part of the Habitat for Humanity parish work group helping to build affordable housing in Washington County. In 2015, he joined a group of 250 Habitat volunteers from around the world who traveled to Romania for a ‘big build’, building 20 homes in a week.

Community leader, advocate and volunteer

Patrick put his heart and business acumen to use as a volunteer in the community. He served as President of the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce (1991); and represented the City of Beaverton Sister Cities Program on several international business trips to Russia, Korea, Japan and China. Knowing the importance of strong schools, he was involved with Citizens for School Support, helping to pass several Beaverton School District capital bond measures to build new schools during a time of rapid growth. He volunteered for several Parkinson’s research studies over the years through OHSU. Upon his death, he donated his brain to the Oregon Brain Bank at OHSU to further research into understanding and treating Parkinson’s.

He served on several other Boards and committees including: the Arc of Oregon, the Arc of Washington County (now Imagine Possibilities), L’Arche Portland, Software Association of Oregon, and the Washington County Public Affairs Forum.

We wish to thank the dedicated caregivers at True Home Care and the doctors and nurses at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center for their compassionate expertise and care.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Imagine Possibilities, an organization that provides meaningful and therapeutic day programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. https://imaginepossibilities.net