Richard Wheeler ‘67

Richard “Coach” Wheeler, age 77, of Cathedral City, California, lost his battle with cancer and passed away peacefully on August 9th surrounded by his family and loved ones.

Rich grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from St. Francis DeSales High School in 1967. He then attended St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, becoming an all-conference defensive end and helping to lead the team to a conference championship. After graduating from St. Joe, Rich played 2 years of semi-pro football in Chicago for the Lake County Rifles. His teaching and coaching ambition lead him to Evansville, Wisconsin, as part of the coaching staff and then to Pittsville, Wisconsin, as head football coach and head wrestling coach. He then coached football at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, before being recruited to return to his Alma Mater in Indiana to take on the defensive coordinator position at St. Joe under head coach, Bill Jennings. The team again achieved a conference championship.

Following a divorce from his first wife, Rich moved to LaCanada, California, and took on the head football coaching job as well as the head golf coaching job. He met and married the former Carol Jordan and, after teaching and coaching for several years, he retired to their home in Cathedral City.

Rich is survived by his 3 children, Dave Wheeler of Lakeland, Minnesota, Valery Wheeler Izmirli (Ben) of Montrose, Minnesota, and Lura Wheeler Wojciechowski of Wausau, Wisconsin, one sister, Mary Anne Wheeler Wood of Raleigh, North Carolina, and one brother, Gerard Wheeler of Columbus, Ohio, and 5 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one brother, James Wheeler, and one sister, Margaret Mary Wheeler.