WHEELER, LAWRENCE

WHEELER, LAWRENCE (LARRY), 88, long time Cape May County resident died on May 6, 2013 after a prolonged illness. Born in Conshohocken, PA and raised in Norristown, PA by his mother, Nelly Wheeler, after his father, Lawrence Wheeler died when Larry was three. He always said his love and respect for women came from his being raised by two women, his mother and his beloved sister, Eleanor Mills. He had a forty year career at Sun Oil Co. and retired in 1983. He started as a draftsman and surveyor and worked in various areas of the country and in many different positions. He was in charge of the conversion of the Northeastern Region from a two grade gasoline system to a blending system used today. As Manager of Midwestern Regions marketing operations, he brought the most economically inefficient region in the company to the position of the best. In 1968, he then converted the entire overlap area from Sunray DX (the 6th largest oil company in the world) to Sun Oil and the conversion of distributors from competitive brands to Sun Oil. Leaving his position of Manager of Cost Control, he was promoted to Manager of Supply, Planning and Product Allocation. He realized early on that voluntary and mandatory allocations, and planning sales and distribution to the right terminal at the right time was the way of the future. During the government forced gasoline allocations of 1977, Sun Oil Co. was in an enviable position because of the programs Larry had implemented, saving the company millions of dollars. After retiring, Larry loved to travel, follow Villanova Basketball and play tennis. In fact, one of his favorite stories was to tell you that he had died three times while playing tennis. This was true, but was so bizarre it bears retelling. He and a group of eleven of people played tennis year round at the 6th Street courts in Ocean City. This particular day, January 31, 1994, there was a nurse substituting and when Larry dropped dead after serving the ball, she started CPR. This was before everyone had cell phones and there was a little building that was usually closed in the winter, but was open that day and being painted. A call was made to 911 and the Fire Department showed up with a defibrillator that had just been purchased the week before. He was shocked back to life and had two more episodes on the way to the hospital that were also successful. He was the first person saved by a portable defibrillator in Ocean City. While living in Ocean City, he was a founding member of Fairness in Taxes and a Board Member for several years, very active in historic preservation working tirelessly trying to save the Lifesaving Station on 4th Street and President of the Ocean Aire South Condo Association, where he owned a condo for several years. His real passion though, was politics. He was involved in Ward, Mayoral, School Board and County elections. His letters to the Editor were instrumental in winning many elections and his honesty and intelligent approach to problems made him a voice of reason. He is survived by his wife, Carol; their six children, Kathleen Miller, Patricia Bear, Jeff (Wendy) Wheeler, Bryan (Cara) Mace, Barry (Genevieve) Mace and Laura Wheeler; dearly loved grandchildren, Gary (Kristin) Parker, Jeff (Chris) Parker, Dana Bear, Ryan, Amanda, Jennifer, Julia, and Jake Wheeler, Carrington and Jamieson Mace; great grandchildren, Paige, Megan, Nora and Reed Parker; and a much loved niece, Eleanor Miller. Memorial services will be held on Friday, May 10, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Radzieta Funeral Home, 9 Hand Avenue, Cape May Court House, where visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. At Larrys request, burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be sent to Holy Redeemer Hospice, 1801 Route 9 North, Swainton, NJ 08210 or the Alzheimers Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001. Condolences at www.radzieta.com