Charlotte Irene MacLean Wheeler, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away at age 87 on November 12, 2018, in Austin, Texas, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer of the liver. Born in Westville, Nova Scotia, Canada, on April 19, 1931, she was the second daughter and fifth child of Ada Burdella Golding MacLean and Thomas MacLean, both of Nova Scotia.
Born and raised in the same Scottish-Canadian small town, it was a big adventure for her when her Texan pen-pal Mervin Wheeler of Corpus Christi, Texas, came to visit her in Westville in June of 1953 and proposed. They married there, and she took the first long car trip of her life to come live in Texas, in the summer of 1953, the days before air conditioning. While Merv continued his career as a powerhouse engineer with ASARCO ore refinery, Charlotte had three children in three years, siblings for Edwin Wheeler, Merv’s son from a previous marriage. Then a surprise fourth child was born eight years later, making Mervin a dad again at age 45.
Though she loved education, Charlotte was required to quit school in the 7th grade and work. She was therefore happy, once her kids were independent, to get her GED in Texas, then a real estate agent license, and finally Del Mar College accreditation in bookkeeping. Another interest was graphoanalysis, which she did as a consultant typically with HR departments. She continued to work as a bookkeeper when she moved to Austin, Texas, in 1986 to be closer to her children after Merv passed away. She valued the many friends she made here while working for employers like John Williams Interiors and the Austin Rape Crisis Center. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1975, but continued to return to Nova Scotia regularly to visit family. She also loved to travel and enjoyed cruises and a Hawaiian vacation. Toward the end of her life, health problems dogged her so she could no longer live alone, but she made several friends among patients and staff at West Oak Rehab and Senior Care in Austin. The family thanks the West Oak team for their friendly care.
Charlotte is survived by three of her four children and their children: Wendy Wheeler, of Austin, Texas. Gwen Wheeler McCammon, of San Antonio, Texas, who has three children: Garrett Wheeler, Shane McCammon, and Heather McCammon; and four grandchildren from Garrett and his wife, Leah Wheeler, who live in St Joseph, MO. And Andrew Wheeler of Austin, Texas. Charlotte’s 4th child was Timothy Alan Wheeler, who died in January 2016, of Victoria, Texas; Tim had two children, Jessica Wheeler Macias and Nicole Wheeler, both of Victoria, and three grandchildren.
Merv passed away from lung cancer in April 1985. All Charlotte’s siblings pre-deceased her, as have Merv’s three Wheeler brothers and their spouses. Peers who are still alive and kicking include Charlotte’s beloved in-laws, Merv’s half-siblings, and their spouses and families: Dudley and Beverly Hafner of Taos, New Mexico; Donroy and Judy Hafner of Austin, Texas; and Sharon Hafner Sweet and Charles Sweet, PhD, of Austin, Texas. Also, Charlotte’s many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews both in the USA and Canada, and her cherished co-workers and best buddies.
Services will be held in the Memorial Chapel of Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home, 11401 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, Texas on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. with viewing from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service.
