William L. Wheeler

1932 - 2019

William Leighton Wheeler
William Leighton Wheeler, Sr. of Charlotte, VT, father of Cynthia Wheeler Thunem, died peacefully with his family at his side on Thursday, March 21, 2019. He was 86 years old.
Known to all as Bill, he was born on April 24, 1932 in Middleport, NY, and he lived in one of the original homes on the Erie Canal. In 1952 he graduated from Morrisville State College at Morrisville, NY with an Associate in Science degree, where he earned varsity letters in football and basketball.
From 1952-56 he was a U.S. Coast Guard hospital corpsman 2nd class, and he served aboard the Coast Guard's famous tall ship Eagle. On June 30, 1956 he married Patricia Van Mater and moved to Burlington, Vermont, where he graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor's degree in 1960. While at UVM, he was a play-by-play radio announcer for basketball and football, and he also wrote the Sports column for "The Vermont Cynic."
From 1961-63, he was a Product Information Specialist in the Marketing department at General Electric. In 1963, Bill founded Wheeler, Wood & MacLeod, the third advertising agency in Vermont, which ultimately became Wheeler & Associates. A highlight of his career was his campaign, "Vermont, The Beckoning Country," considered one of the most successful state advertising programs in the country.
In 2000, Bill "retired" from his full-time advertising business and became an Adjunct Professor at Champlain College, where he taught for thirteen years, and received the first-ever Francine Page Excellence in Teaching Award in 2012.
His family and friends always enjoyed his talent for making people laugh, and they marveled at his ability to recall stories and tell jokes appropriate to the occasion. Many could readily identify his deep, warm voice when heard on radio or television commercials, and for decades as a horse show announcer throughout New England.
Bill was the quintessential Vermont cowboy, and a founding member and president of The Vermont Quarter Horse Association He enjoyed building wooden toys for his grandchildren, and following the New York Yankees and UVM basketball. A 62-year member of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Bill served three terms on the Vestry and was also Senior Warden.
His greatest love was his family: Pat, his beloved wife of 62 years, who was also his business partner and best friend; daughter Lisa and her husband Rob Wilkes of Charlotte, VT; Rob's children and grandchildren; daughter Cynnie, her husband Eric Thunem, and their sons Ned and Pete of New Canaan, CT; daughter Trish Ellsworth and her children Eliza and Harry of Tewksbury, NJ; and son Bill Jr., his wife Ronna, and their sons William III and River of Richmond, VT. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Sally and Peter Whitney of Tucson, AZ, and many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews. He was predeceased by his son-in-law Will Ellsworth.
A Memorial Service celebrating Bill's life is to be held on Friday, March 29, 2019, 11:00 a.m., at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 2 Cherry Street, Burlington, VT.