James R. Wheeler

Oct. 18, 1951 - June 16, 2011

TORRINGTON - James R. Wheeler, 59, passed away at his home June 16, 2011 after a long and brave battle with cancer. He was the beloved husband of Brenda (Miller) Wheeler. Jim was born in Torrington on Oct. 18, 1951 to the late Richard H. and Almira Deming Wheeler. He was a lifelong resident of Torrington and graduated from Wamogo High School.
In 1967 he and a group of young men started the Speed Syndicate Car Club. This group became lifelong friends and they still occasionally get together to reminisce about old times.
Jim took great pride in having a long career as a tractor-trailer driver, working for Carroll's Express, Allied Grocers, Finast Grocers and Kimberly Clark and was also self-employed as a landscaper for a few years. He has been employed by the Town of Harwinton for the last 17 years.
His first love was dairy farming, having grown up next to a farm owned by his uncle, Mason Deming. He learned how to drive a farm tractor at the ago of nine and spent much of his free time helping and working on the farm along with his many cousins. As an adult he greatly enjoyed collecting tractors and usually could be found working around the neighborhood on one of them plowing earth or snow, mowing grass, putting up hay, or at home cutting firewood or tinkering on and maintaining his fleet and equipment. His sense of humor, corny jokes, imitations of old sayings, giving select people a unique nickname and being always at the ready to give anyone a helping hand will be sadly missed.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons; James M. Wheeler, his wife Lauren and their two daughters Emma and Ava of Morris; Michael S. Wheeler and his wife Jennifer of Warrenton, Virginia; three sisters, Marjorie Creighton and her husband Robert, of Dumfries, Virginia, Kathleen Ventrillo and her husband Richard, of Merrimac, Massachusetts, and Janet Kreidler of Seattle, Washington. and a large extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and one great, great niece.
Graveside services will be held at Hillside Cemetery, 76 Walnut St, Torrington. on July 9, 2011 at 11 a.m. in the cremation garden with a reception to follow at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 837 Charles St., Torrington, CT. There will be no calling hours. Arrangements are with The Phalen Funeral Home, 285 Migeon Ave., Torrington, CT. www.phalenfuneral.com
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Old Hemlock Cemetery c/o Mrs. Rujo Moore, 135 Smith Hill Rd., Winsted, CT 06098