Lovely “Gay” Wheeler left for her heavenly home on April 23, 2024. She suffered a heart attack at St. Elizabeth High Health Care in Delphi where she had been in residence for a short time. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Barry Wheeler. She had two children, Steven L. Wheeler (wife Sharon) of Medlothian, VA, and Kimberly Stoddard (Husband Bill) of Flora. She had five grandchildren and six great grandchildren, of which she had only met the oldest due to the Pandemic.
She was born in Kingsport, TN on August 8, 1937, and spent her early years in Coburn, VA. Her large family moved to Sardinia, IN where she graduated from Jackson Twp. High School. Her father, M.L. Robinette was a farmer, master woodworker, and fiddler. Her mother, Edith, was a farmer’s wife. She had eight brothers and sisters.
Gay was well-known in Carroll County as one of the nurses at Medical Associates in Delphi. She graduated from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in 1959. She had met Barry on a blind date on the previous Christmas Eve, and they were married July 24, 1959. Gay joined him for his Advanced Training in the Army in Mass. And six months after the birth of their son, followed him to Berlin, Germany. Upon returning to Indianapolis in 1963, she served at Methodist Hospital until Barry made a career move to Lafayette in 1968.
She joined the staff of Home Hospital and was evening charge nurse on Post-Partum. She was working on her third generation of babies (including the Hoffman Triplets) when she moved to the Oncology Department for a short time. Drs. Petrie and Baker then lured her to their office in Delphi. She worked there until her retirement as Dr. Dogget’s nurse.
She enjoyed traveling each year to the National Car Show of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club of which Barry was President from 1986-1990. She and Barry also made six trips to Jamaica for winter vacations. She loved her children, grandchildren, her home, and those in her church. She taught Sunday School for the smaller children at Flora First Christian Church and was a member of the RN Club in Lafayette while living there.
At one time she was an avid runner and could be seen in the early morning hours on many roads around Flora, including a jog to the covered bridge and back. Her quick actions at work saved the lives of at least two Delphi residents. While the office was still downtown, she responded to a young woman who came in screaming that her mom had been stung by a swarm of bees. She administered the right shot, right then. And another patient had a heart attack in the office, and she gave her mouth-to-mouth until she was breathing again.
She loved caring for everyone she met. When. You heard her soft voice on the phone saying, “This is Gay,” somehow you felt a little better. It’s possible that God decided that he needed another good nurse in heaven. Our prayers were answered that she was called home before she suffered the harsher realities of Dementia. She will be missed.
Visitation will be held, Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 1pm until the time of the service at 3pm at Flora Firste Christian Church. Pastor Benjamin Lantzer will officiate. Burial will follow at Maple Lawn Cemetery. Day & Genda Funeral Home ~ Reinke Chapel is assisting with arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to Flora First Christian Church, Children’s Garden Fund (proposed day care center at Flora First Christian Church) in Gay’s honor. Messages of condolence may be left at www.dayandgenda.com.