Rachel Leigh Wheeler

Rachel Leigh Wheeler, née Pearson, of Tyler, TX, died due to complications arising from leukemia on February 24th, 2023, at the age of 49.

Rachel was born on October 11th, 1973 in Corpus Christi to parents Paul and Beverly Pearson. After graduating from Incarnate Word in 1991, she went on to study English at Duke University.

In 1995, Rachel was working at Laity Lodge Youth Camp when she met Benjamin Wheeler, in his overalls and flip flops. They fell in love and were married on December 28th, 1996. The two of them began a family together with the birth of their first son, Caleb, and continued to grow it over time with son Joshua, daughter Abigail, and son John.

Rachel was a devoted, patient, and understanding mother. She enjoyed reading, doing yoga, being at the beach, and all the times when her family was gathered under one roof. She was a faithful servant to her church, Redeemer Presbyterian, where she loved being present, picking the music every week, and doing a thousand other things that only Ben knows about. She spent her days encouraging and caring for those around her, always finding time for long walks and deep conversations with those lucky enough to have known her. Even now that she’s gone, she continues to be a blessing and a stronghold for her family and friends. We continue to learn from her and feel her comfort as we always could before. We will hold her in our hearts as she walks with us every day.

Rachel is preceded in death by her father Paul Pearson. She is survived by her mother Beverly, her siblings Melissa, Paul Brian, Timothy, Kimberly, and Stephen, her husband Ben and their children Caleb and his wife Sarah, Joshua and his fiancée Kelly, Abigail, and John.