David Charles Wheeler

I am stunned to hear of David's passing. He was my neighbor in Columbus, Ohio and was kind and funny. I had a little Silky Terrier who got upset when I was at work, throwing herself against the door and howling. David lived in the apartment upstairs and told me about this and instead of being upset, he offered to take her on walks and to coffee shops with him. After he moved, we kept in touch on occasion. When I visited Boston in May 2009, we met up and he showed me around Boston. I just logged onto Facebook for the first time in years and clicked David's profile to see what he was up to, assuming he'd be in another cool city or in a job where he could make an impact with his intelligence and wit. It looks like he did do these things before he passed. My mom died of brain cancer as well. I wonder how David thought about his diagnosis and am glad he had so many loved ones in his life. My sincere condolences to those closest to him. Here are some photos from my visit to Boston in May 2009.

David and I shared many neighborhood walks with our dogs. He doted on his much beloved Maggie. Though Mags, as I called her, had severe health issues, David cared for her gently and lovingly, even as his own health was deteriorating.
We chatted about the dogs, nature and of course, David shared when, where or how his last or next biking event was going. These were quiet, peaceful and relaxed strolls near his house and in Forest Hill Park.
You could say I didn´t know David as well as many, but I believe you can tell so much about a person by how they care for their pets and enjoy a simple walk. I have and will miss his gentle company on my neighborhood walks.

David and I collaborated closely on numerous proposals, and through these endeavors, I came to deeply appreciate his intellect and unwavering commitment to excellence. His insightful contributions and tireless work ethic were instrumental in our successes, and his presence always elevated our projects to new heights.

Beyond his professional achievements, David was a good friend. I am profoundly grateful for the time we shared and the memories we created.

David Wheeler will be profoundly missed by all who knew him. His legacy of brilliance and dedication will continue to inspire us, and his memory will forever hold a cherished place in our hearts.

Rest in peace, David.

I am incredibly shocked and saddened to hear this news. I still remember the time I walked into Dr. Wheeler´s office for a meeting. Not missing a beat, Dr. Wheeler looked at the sizable stack of papers in my hands and said, "I like trees." Dr. Wheeler was my dissertation co-advisor, a service for which l will forever be grateful.

I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. David Wheeler. Dr. Wheeler´s contributions to our field were significant, and it was a true privilege to collaborate with him on our spatial analysis paper during my early days at VCU Medicine. Working alongside such a distinguished geographer was both an honor and a pleasure.

I am David's colleague at the Dept. of Biostatistics at VCU. When I was planning to move to VCU (in 2015), I was informed by the search committee that I can find a spatial analysis colleague in David. With common research interests, the choice was immediate.

David was a fantastic researcher. Our interactions would include discussing a variety of spatial computing problems around the Department's break area. Those would eventually conclude listening to some of his hiking experiences. He was a very dear colleague.

My sincere condolences to his family! I wanted to upload the last picture I had with him (I am the one on the left).

My deepest condolences to the family. He was one of the reasons I came to VCU, hoping to learn from him about his innovative ways to assess the catchment are of a cancer center. We will continue to honor his legacy...

Very sad to read this news. He was my dissertation adviser and taught me both how to be a better researcher and an adventurer.

I am a colleague of his, and I am so sorry to hear about his passing.
May his memory be for a blessing, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He was a great collaborator.

My heart goes out to David´s family. I had the privilege of working with David when he joined the National Cancer Institute´s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP) in 2008. He was the first person to teach me about the power of using GIS. We first discussed this in the context of his work studying Florida panther territories. He then took this background and expertise that was seemingly very far removed from cancer research, obtained an MPH degree, and began to focus on how to use GIS and a variety of statistical and spatial modeling methods to study cancer risk. David was a star in the program and an inspiration. He highlighted how one can come into the CPFP with a seemingly disparate background and launch a whole new, impactful career in cancer prevention research. David was ahead of his time in 2008 and continued to be a leader. He was also a kind, wonderful human being. He will be greatly missed.

My Condolences, I met David while he was a CPF at NCI - Such a smart man and a real loss to geospatial health research

What a wonderful tribute! I am thankful to you Dawn and Darlene for everything that you did to care for David through this difficult journey. God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

David was a friend and a classmate during our year in Boston, during our MPH studies at Harvard. His legacy goes beyond the caring and smart friend I got to know that year. I will always cherish our study sessions and trips together we took that year to Costa Rica and Vermont

I had a kid sitting behind me in class. He´s put his feet on the book shelf under my seat. At first I felt my seat shaking from his leg, next he started to tap the back of my calf with his foot. He enjoyed pestering me! But truth be told we ended up being friends up through our freshman year at Bloomsbury where he helped tutor me in our Econ 1 class. Had it not been for Dave I wouldn´t have done as well as I did. He will be missed

What a beautiful tribute to such an accomplished men. May his memory be a blessing.