Fred Wheeler

James Fred Wheeler, 67, of Wellington, FL, passed away peacefully on January, 6, 2012 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Fred was born in Rome, Georgia on July 23, 1944, and he moved to the Orlando area in 1947. He played basketball for both Ocoee High School (Class of 1962) and Orlando Junior College. He served with the 1st Air Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, earning several commendations and medals, including a bronze star and a purple heart. Fred received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Masters in Education from the University of Central Florida. His first career was as a teacher and coach at Colonial High School in Orlando 1971-1977. Fred later retired from Allstate Insurance Company where he was employed for 28 years. He will be remembered most as a loving husband and father, charming friend and avid Florida Gator fan. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Kim, of Wellington; children, Karen (Ed) Roberts, Shelby (John) Mack, Amanda Wheeler and James Wheeler; and grandson, Joseph Roberts, all of Orlando, FL; sister, Marsha (Reggie) Tisdale of Sorrento, FL; brother, Steve (Robin) Wheeler of New Smyrna Beach, FL. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lucy and Jim of Apopka, FL. The family will receive guests on Sunday, January 15th at 1pm at Palms West Funeral Home, 110 Business Park Way, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411. He will be interred in the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth on Monday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County in loving memory of James Fred Wheeler, www.hpbcf.org, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.