Ophelia "Phyl" Wheeler

Memorial and Celebration of Life services for long-time San Antonio resident Ophelia Wheeler are to be held at 2:30pm on January 11 at Colonial Funeral Home in Universal City. Her great-nephews, Travis Garcia and Clayton Garcia will officiate. Interment will be in Dallas Oregon.

Ophelia (Phyl) Travis Wheeler was born to Alvis and Guthrie Hook Travis on June 3, 1934, in Lindsay, Oklahoma. She passed at home with family by her side on January 4 at the age of 90. She grew up in the country near Lindsay and in the small town of Elmore City, Oklahoma, near her grandparents, aunts and uncles. The family later moved to Oklaunion, Texas.

Mrs. Wheeler was a long-time Realtor and real estate investor around San Antonio. She is a founding member of Missionary Baptist Church and was highly involved in working on behalf of the church. Her dedication to the church extended to working at Mission Valley Camp and Park for children. She was a devoted wife and mother, having served as a Cub Scout den mother and was a volunteer for her sons’ activities, including Little League, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and supporting their ROTC and motorcycle racing passions.

During her childhood she lived on farms and picked cotton with her family. As a young woman, she worked as a waitress in the Curtis Café in Frederick, Oklahoma. It was there she met her husband, Jack, who was stationed at nearby Fort Sill Army Base. She took his food order, “chili and ice cream please”, and asked if he wanted them in the same bowl. That was the beginning of a loving relationship and marriage that lasted until his death on June 23, 1999.

Once married Phyl and Jack moved to Augusta, GA where Jack was stationed at Ft. Gordon. While living in Augusta, Phyl and Jack had two sons. Randall (Randy) Wheeler born May 14, 1959 and Marshal (Mark) Wheeler born September 6, 1960.

Phyl and Jack’s favorite pastime was travelling and bowling. They participated in leagues over the years and won several league championships.

Jack made a career in the U.S. Army, joining at the end of World War II. He served in Korea, Vietnam and was stationed in Wurzburg, Germany, where his family joined him, from 1965-68. Through his many assignments in the military, the country girl from Oklahoma was able to travel extensively around America, Europe and also lived in Louisiana, Oregon and Oklahoma. Wherever they went, Phyl found a good church to attend and made new friends.

Her “best friends”, were her sister, Laveta, and her cousin Naomi. Phyl and Jack spent many happy days with Laveta and her husband, Herman, Naomi and her husband Sonny, sister Floreta and husband Jay and brother, Floyd and wife LaQuita and youngest sister Virginia. Whenever any combination of those people were together there was always a lot of fun and laughter.

Before receiving her real estate license, she worked as a school crossing guard at St. Benedict’s in and for Avon. She began her professional real estate career with Century 21 Real Estate, where she worked for 20 years before founding her company, Phyl Wheeler Realty. She retired after more than 20 years as an independent Realtor and investor. Never satisfied with the status quo, she graduated from high school in her thirties and from St Phillips College in her fifties.

She was preceded in death by her parents; grandparents, Sarah and R.P. Hook of Elmore City, Oklahoma, and Joe and Ellen Travis of Wapanucka, Oklahoma; and six siblings, Laveta and husband Herman Vosburgh; Floyd Travis; Floreta and husband Jay Oxley; Virginia and husband Howard Rodgers; A.J. Travis, and Alyene Travis Moyer.

She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law; Randy Wheeler; Mark Wheeler and his wife, Cheryl and two grandsons, Cole and Zach Vallow; beloved sister-in-law, Laquetta Travis. She also is survived by much-loved nieces and nephews, Glenda Vosburgh; Sandra Garcia and husband Amos,; Cindy Altom; Tammie Muirhead and husband Mike; Rhonda Oxford and husband Jay; Lori Bland and husband Tony; Carol Macy: Donna Olive; P.J. Oxley; Jeff Rodgers; Dustin Rodgers and Sheri Franks.

She also is survived by many great-nephews and nieces.

Special appreciation goes to Grace Rodriguez and Joel Tapia. Grace and Joe became so much more than caretakers to Phyl in the last five years of her life. They treated each other as loved family member and she came to love them deeply. Phyl said many times that Grace was like a daughter to her and Joe her youngest and favorite son.