Lester R. Wheeler

He was born in Ocala, FL on October 7, 1927 the son of Raymond and Eve (Hodgekins) Wheeler.

He grew up in Keene and attended Keene High School. He joined the US Navy in 1944 where he served honorably for twenty years. During his military service he traveled to many places around the world, including Hawaii, England, France, Korea, aboard the U.S.S Arcadia at Boston, MA and Italy, where he stood in the crowd to be blessed by Pope John Paul. He returned home with blessed medallions for his daughters. He received many noted honors and medals during his service career including several Good Conduct Medals, The American Campaign Medal, Korean Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the United Nation Service Medal.

He was honored to have served aboard the following ships; The USS Admiral Hood, the USS Everett F. Larson and the USS Roy O. Hale and served on several of these ships as the ship’s barber. He had a special assignment while serving on his base in Hawaii - an ice cream peddler for the children on the base.

After his retirement from the US Navy he worked for the Markem Corporation in Keene for eighteen years, was a school bus driver for sixteen years and was also a cab driver and cab dispatcher.

He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather who loved to be with his family. He was prankster and had a great sense of humor. He was known for being the “master of the one liners.” He enjoyed playing games with his children, grandchildren, and their friends, especially a game of “cards against humanity”. He loved life and loved to travel and was fortunate to have been able to travel with the military.

He enjoyed fishing, tinkering - especially with cars, snowmobiling, bowling, reading western novels, listening to country western music and playing bingo. He was a bingo caller for many years. He was an avid sports fan, especially NASCAR racing, and was a former stock car driver and stock car sponsor. He was a member of the Keene Post 799, VFW, the Gordon Bissell Post 4 American legion and the Ashuelot Valley Trail Blazer Snowmobile Club.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Kathleen Wheeler of Keene; five children; Barbara Kahn and her husband Jake of East Swanzey, NH, Michael Wheeler and his wife Marion of Fitzwilliam, NH, Molly Gray and her husband Robert Gray of West Swanzey, NH; Chuck E. Wheeler of Troy, NH and Denise Wheeler of Keene, NH; eight grandchildren; Kathleen Kahn, James Kahn, Susan Wheeler, Robert Wheeler, Jamie Gray, Travis Gray, Gary Gray Wheeler, and Charity Scarborough; five great-grandchildren; Crimson Wheeler, Taylan Wheeler, Amaya Wheeler, Thomas Robbins, and Kyera Scarborough; three sisters; Beatrice Harris of Aurora Ohio, Caroline Driscoll and Edith Blake all of Keene, NH; a sister-in-law Mary Hall of Keene and a brother -in-law Alec Lachanel of Florida, many nieces, nephews and extended family. Two sisters; Minnie Collier, and Rae Ann Duquette died earlier.

Funeral services will be held in the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene on Friday, January 22, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. The Rev. Richard Wallace will officiate. Burial with full military honors will follow at the Monadnock View Cemetery, Park Avenue, West Keene. Family and friends are invited to call at the funeral home today, (Thursday 1-21-2016) from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104 or to the Tin Can Sailors, Inc. PO Box 100, Somerset, MA 02726.