In Memory

Mark Wheeler

Mark Wheeler

Mark died in a commuter plane crash which had been bound for Utah; the crash occurred about ten miles east of Durango, Colorado, on January 19, 1988.  Mark had married Maureen Gepford in KC on 01/25/79, but they were divorced before he was killed. He had two daughters at the time of his death: Michelle, 12, and Katie, 2. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Chemistry, Mark served for five years on nuclear submarines including the USS Halibut and USS Spadefish before leaving the Navy in 1978. He also received a Master's degree from University of Missouri at Kansas City.  He then went on to work for Mobil Oil in Louisiana and finally Western Gas Processors in Denver, Colorado for whom he was a mechanical engineer at the time of his death.

--Information provided by Don Bowerman
 

We will always miss Sir Lancelot; he will always be in our hearts!



 
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04/06/09 01:19 PM #1    

Annie Maas (Walters)

I remember that plane crash - it was a pretty big deal here in CO. I'm sorry to learn that Mark was on that plane. I loved Camelot! I will never forget how Mark and Mike Winnig brought down the house! It was incredible - annie maas walters

07/22/09 05:31 PM #2    

Sue Lyddon (Hall)

I remember a couple of double dates with Mark and Molly. Once we piled a couple people in the trunk of a car to get more people into a drive-in theater for free. I think Mark was in there! (I could be wrong...don't want to defame his name!) Since Molly and I were close friends, Mark used to ask me for "advice" on how to get along with her better. I was flattered he asked me! He was pretty sensitive for a guy of that era. Mark was intelligent, fun and fun-loving and he always had a lot to contribute. I sure wish he was still around so I could catch up with him at the Reunion!

07/26/10 06:44 AM #3    

David Garrison

Mark and I became good friends while we both were members of the wrestling team, but my family had known the Wheeler's for years prior. My mom went through KU nursing school with Mark's mom during WWII and dad knew Mark's dad through medical channels way before I went to high school. What was particularly disturbing to me about Mark's death was the fact that toxicology found cocaine in the tissues of the pilot-in-command of this flight. According to the NTSB, this was the first regularly scheduled airline flight (Continental Express) where drug impairment of the pilot was the major contributing factor of the crash.


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