George N. Wheaton's Obituary
George N. Wheaton, Jr., was born in Fort Myers, Florida on February 6, 1939 and died on July 16, 2016 at the age of 77. His father, George N. Wheaton, Sr., arrived in Fort Myers in 1887, and his mother, Anna Lavin, came to Fort Myers in the 1920s during the land boom. George, Jr. graduated from Fort Myers Junior/Senior High in 1957, where he met the love of his life, Sue Williams. He attended the University of Miami.George, being a native, was somewhat of a historian when it came to “old” Fort Myers. He was often referred to as a “true Southern gentleman”.He served as a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of the Southwest Masonic Center of Florida, Tropical Lodge #56. He was also a proud Shriner and one of the Founding Fathers and Charter Members of the Araba Shriners in Fort Myers. He was active in the Fort Myers Lions Club serving as Sight Chairman.His working careers included owning and operating a large independently owned garage, George Wheaton and Son, Inc., specializing in Wheel alignment and brakes. George was a Special Deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department. Over 30 years ago he started selling real estate, specializing in acreage and commercial property. In the early 90’s he began Wheaton Real Estate.In 1999, he was appointed to serve on Lee County’s Conservation Lands Acquisition and Stewardship Committee (Conservation 20/20). He served on that committee with pride and dedication until his death. He walked each of the 128 properties which encompassed 24,800 acres! He volunteered thousands of hours to this program which is the most stellar environmental acquisition program in the State of Florida.As a young teenager, he was introduced to hunting and fishing. Hunting became a passion and lifetime addiction. He loved to share his hunting stories and he could tell you the estimated weight of game from hundreds of yards away. Everyone was welcome to hunt with George but you had to do a practice shot with him first. Safety was his second priority; family was first.He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Sue; one son, Dave Wheaton (Patti); one daughter, Sheri Morris (Chet); three grandchildren, Lindsay Dowdy (Adam); Karl Wheaton (Brittany); Jillian Wheaton and one great granddaughter, Nora Wheaton; as well as many loving relatives and friends.George also had a soft heart for dogs. He loved to spoil the families’ pets and always gave them a special treat.The family would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to the staff of 8 West at Healthpark. The care and compassion from the staff was immeasurable.Visitation will be held at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL on Thursday, July 21, 2016, from 1-3:00 p.m. Memorial service will be at 3:00 p.m. immediately following the visitation.In lieu of flowers, George’s family requests memorial donations be made to the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, 12502 USF Pine Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 or charity of your choice.
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