Raymond George Wheeldon

life story

In loving memory of Ray

Raymond George Wheedlon

Precious husband, beloved father, joyous grandfather, died Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at the age of 85 years. Born in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada, on July 18, 1937, Ray was the second child of Herbert Raymond Wheeldon and Sylvia Shropshire Wheeldon. Ray married his wife, Lynn Elmore Wheeldon, on June 6, 1970, in Jacksonville, Florida. Together, they have a son, Raymond George Wheeldon, Jr., and a daughter, Sally-Gordon Wheeldon Lane. When just a boy in Canada, Ray ice skated, skied, swam, ran track and field, and played hockey, all extremely well. As a young teenager, Ray joined the Canadian Merchant Marines and sailed The Great Lakes for two years, after which he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving in Northern Ontario, Canada, and in France and Sardinia. In the RCAF, Ray was a regimental boxer. He was an airplane mechanic and also participated in rocket firing. While stationed in Europe, Ray skied in Germany and the Swiss Alps; he traveled extensively in France, Switzerland, and Germany, participating in many adventures. Ray immigrated to the United States of America in February of 1963. Always an adventurer, Ray was an avid fisherman, deep-sea, freshwater, and saltwater. He became certified as a SCUBA diver, frequently cave diving in Florida’s many springs. Ray raced speed-track cars and did rally-cross racing. He raced moto-cross, belonging to Team Bultaco as No. 17, and did track motorcycle racing, garnering too many trophies to count. Ray worked as Parts Manager for Mercedes-Benz of Jacksonville and later for O’Steen’s Volvo, after which he was a partner in AutoHaus Benz in downtown Jacksonville, and then a partner in Cassat Imports on Blanding Boulevard in Jacksonville. Ray enjoyed many happy years of retirement. Ray’s children were his greatest love, joy, and pride; he was a devoted, loving, proud father right to the end. He was blessed with two cherished grandchildren, Maren and Isaac, on whom he lavished love and all his playfulness. Ray loved all animals, great and small, and animals loved him. He shared his life with so many fabulous dogs and cats, a coati-mundi, birds, a cow named Daisy, many, many pigs and chickens, and many other pets. These last three years, his furry baby was Rosie, a miniature wire-haired Dachshund, and between them existed a mutual admiration and deep love. Ray was predeceased by his parents, his parents-in-law, Leon E. and Sally G. Elmore, his nephew, David Shields, his sister, Carol Devlin, and his brother-in-law, Ray Butler. He leaves to treasure his life, love, and memory, his wife of over 52 years, Lynn, his children, Raymond G. and Dagny Ulrich Wheeldon of Memphis, Tennessee, Sally-Gordon and Casey Lane of Brooker, Florida, his grandchildren, Maren Lynn Lane and Isaac Wiley Lane, his sisters, Joan Butler and Marjorie Shields (Bill), and his brother, Keith B. Wheeldon (Donna), brother-in-law and sister-in-law, James G. and Jane J. Elmore, and many nieces and nephews.

memorial service

A memorial service for Ray will be held to honor his life.

August 11, 2022

Antioch Baptist Church 3612 NW 177th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32609, USA

Pastor Justin Dicus, officiating.