Obituary of Robert William Wheeler

Robert Wheeler, of Morgantown, WV, passed away at home on Saturday, October 3, 2020, after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Linda, his parents, Bob and Betty (Redeker) Wheeler, and his brother, Barry. He was born on April 29, 1942 in Wheeling, WV. Robert graduated from Central Catholic High School in Wheeling. Bob entered the ROTC program at West Virginia University in Morgantown and went on to serve in the Army for four years in both Japan and Washington, DC. Following his time in the Army, Bob became a commissioned officer in the Public Health Service, stationed more than 20 years at NIOSH in Morgantown, retiring as a captain in 1991. During his time in the Public Health Service, Bob earned a masters degree in Public Health from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Following his retirement from the Public Health Service, Bob began a consulting career, working to improve worker conditions around the world. He was a long time parishioner of Saint Mary’s and St. John in Morgantown. Bob was an active member of several professional organizations through-out his life and was named an American Industrial Hygienist Association fellow for his lifetime career accomplishments in 2006. He will be greatly missed by colleagues from all over the world, many of which he developed strong and lifelong friendships with along the way. Bob was known for his wisdom and kindness to all those around him. And when it came to his family, Bob was always a nurturing father and caring husband. He coached basketball, spent endless hours helping with math homework, practicing free throws, and driving to practices, events, and games. He was their biggest cheerleader and shared his pride in their accomplishments with everyone he met. Bob was always available to offer guidance and direction when needed, and was usually right. He had an incredible love of sports and was a WVU season ticket holder for over 40 years. Loving travel, visiting all 50 states was one of his most prized achievements. In the last year, Bob was able to spend several months living with his grandchildren, Ben and Cate, which brought much joy to him. We are all beyond blessed to have known him and call him Dad. We will continue to work hard to earn his pride in all of us. He is survived by his children, Christopher Wheeler (Connie Couchman), Julie Wheeler (Denise Kircher) of Osprey, FL, Kristin VanFossen (Adam) of Washington, DC, Beth Wheeler of Mount Pleasant, SC; five grandchildren, Ben and Cate VanFossen and Madison, Julianne, and Justin Wheeler; two brothers, Bruce Wheeler (Judy) of Austin, TX and Brad Wheeler (Joanne Bosworth) of Wheeling; two nephews and one niece. Friends will be received from 4pm to 8pm on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce Street, Morgantown. Honoring Bob’s wishes, cremation services will be provided by Hastings Funeral Home. The family appreciates that during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, attending a visitation may not be in your best health interest. If you choose to attend the visiting, please take all precautions recommended by the CDC. The family would like to thank Dr. Kokab Darbandi for her kindness and care for so many years and Connie Couchman for her compassionate guidance during the last difficult days. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church – St. Ursula Food Pantry (https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Giving/stm3334271) and Outreach or the Robert Wheeler Scholarship Fund at the American Industrial Hygienist Association Foundation. (https://www.aiha.org/get-involved/aih-foundation/aih-foundation-scholarships/robert-wheeler-scholarship). Online condolences may be expressed the family at www.hastingsfuneralhome.com