Randy D. Wheeler

Randy DeWayne Wheeler, 52, of Wichita, Kansas, passed away Jan. 29, 2023, of a suspected heart attack. He was out doing something he loved — listening to live music, singing, and dancing — with people he loved, before collapsing suddenly.

Randy was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma, on Feb. 21, 1970, to Janice and John Wheeler. Randy’s dad served in the Air Force so the family moved several times, but eventually settled in the Wichita area where they raised Randy and his younger sister Christy. His devoted parents worked hard to give Randy and Christy a great life, including inspiring a love for fishing, hunting and sports. Randy also had a close-knit family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who he saw often. His grandmother Margaret Middleton, now called Princess Grandma by her great grandchildren, has been a loving presence throughout his life and one of his very favorite people. Whatever he achieved in life, Randy credited to God and to the family who loved him so well.

Randy went to Andover High School where he played sports and developed friendships that lasted his whole life. Randy’s house was often the go-to house for his friends to gather at, whether it was for his mom’s food or his dad’s video games in the basement. After graduating high school, Randy joined the Army and was stationed in Germany before moving back to Wichita.

By that time, he had already gotten married and started a family. He has four kids: Chris, John, Madison and Lauren, and they were the light of his life. To his children he passed on his love for sports, for music, and for telling great stories, and the Wheeler household was often the scene of intensely competitive games. On Sundays during football season, it was common for the Wheeler clan to gather, dressed head to toe in Chiefs gear, to eat barbecue and do some trash talking. They also made the trek from Texas to Kansas for championship games — once that became a thing for the Chiefs.

After his marriage to Sarah Tester in 2013, Randy also embraced four stepkids: Molly, Allie, David and Katie. Holidays, especially Christmas, became big, loud affairs, which Randy loved. Randy was blessed to see some of his kids get married, and the Wheeler family now includes Chandler, Edwin, Judson and Andie. In addition, Randy has two granddaughters: Khaleesi and Phoebe. Randy had a close relationship to his grandparents, who routinely spoiled him, and he looked forward to this time of his life so he could do the same.

Randy had a strong faith that God was good and that putting your trust in Him was the wisest and best thing you could do. He often talked about how blessed he was, how much God had done for him, and how he deserved none of it.

After his time in the Army, Randy graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Friends University and embarked on a career in recruiting. Early on, he developed the skill of cold calling which served him well in every job he had. Randy had confidence and a positive attitude no matter who or what he was pitching, and he often credited the advice of his dad when he was first starting out: the worst anyone can do is say no. He took that to heart and, more often than not, when Randy asked, people said yes. He had great success in recruiting and building talent acquisition teams for some of the largest financial services, banking, life insurance and semiconductor organizations worldwide, including Texas Instruments, Schwab and Samsung.

Randy loved talking to people and often said he had the best job in the world. His optimism and faith were hallmarks of his life, and he forged close friendships with many of his coworkers. Whether it was eating at a favorite lunch spot, enjoying a happy hour or rapping over an intercom at the end of every Friday, he embraced the idea of work hard/play hard.

One of Randy’s great loves was traveling, and he got to visit countries all over the globe in his 52 years, including China, India, Venezuela, Belize and many European destinations. His most recent international trip was to Iceland with his daughter Lauren, where they enjoyed the Blue Lagoon, riding Icelandic horses, four-wheeling in a volcanic crater, and more.

In 2020, Randy got to fulfill his life-long dream of buying a log cabin, in Breckenridge, Colorado. His favorite thing about the cabin was the wildlife right outside the door, from the foxes he fed every day to the moose that laid down in the backyard. He took particular pride in a giant elk mount that hung on the fireplace, which he named Will.

Randy is survived by his wife Sarah Wheeler, and his children, stepchildren and grandchildren: Chris and Chandler Wheeler, John Wheeler, Madison, Edwin and Khaleesi Nero; Lauren Wheeler; Molly and Judson Valdez; Allie Tester; David, Andie and Phoebe Tester; and Katie Tester. He is also survived by his parents and step parents, Janice and Jim Fine; John and Jan Wheeler; and by his grandmother, Margaret Middleton. His sister, Christy Ahrens and husband Bobby Ahrens round out his immediate family, but he will also be missed by beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A visitation for Randy will be held Friday, February 3, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Lakeview Funeral Home, 12100 E 13TH ST N, Wichita, KS 67206. A funeral service will occur Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Lakeview Funeral Home. Information about his burial and a celebration of life in DFW, TX will be posted at a later date

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Randy's memory may be made to Denton Freedom House, 3083 Trails End, Aubrey, Texas 76227, https://dentonfreedomhouse.org/donation/ or to a charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MyLakeviewFuneralHome.com for the Wheeler family.