Hazel A. Wheeless

Hazel Alleen Witten Wheeless was born to a farmer and a schoolteacher in a tiny South Texas town. An only child, she was encouraged to learn, excel, and thrive by a mother who wanted to ensure that Alleen’s many gifts flourished. And flourish they did as Alleen became an accomplished musician (piano and clarinet), Bible drill champion, and high school valedictorian before heading to Baylor University to study music at the age of 17. At Baylor she met her husband of 67 years, Ellington “Duke” Wheeless, and began the process of raising five children to live independent, productive, Christian lives while actively supporting Duke in his music and pastoral ministries. But, Alleen’s gifts to the world were not limited to wife, mother, and local church: • From the 1950’s through the 1990’s, she was the elected president of state-wide Woman’s Missionary Unions (WMU) in both Colorado and Virginia as well as an at-large representative to National WMU while living in Texas. • She taught in public schools in Texas and gave private piano lessons to nearly 1000 students over two decades in Virginia. • She taught ESL classes and women’s leadership classes in Tanzania and Slovakia. In addition, she taught hundreds of seminars for WMU and churches throughout the country and took part in missions’ trips to Central and South America. • She proudly served as the pianist for the choral group at her senior community from their inception in 2008 until March 2018. She is survived by her husband - Ellington (Duke), Ashburn, VA; four children – Karen, Alexandria, VA; Steven, Tempe, AZ; Craig, Ellicott City, MD; Greg, Ashburn, VA; and six grandchildren – Jené, Washington, DC; Audrey, Ft. Worth, TX; Savannah, Ashburn, VA; Ross, Tucson, AZ; Christy, Ocean Pines, MD; and Jake, Tempe, AZ.