Enjoyed cruises on his yacht
WAKEFIELD — Dexter Wheeler, age 90 of Wakefield passed away on Tuesday, May 13 at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.
He was born in Clinton and was the son of the late Edward and Phyllis (Reed) Wheeler. Dexter graduated from Wakefield High School in 1952 and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1956 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Years later he received his master’s degree from Northeastern University. He married Sara May Burdett on November 25,1961. He worked at National Radio Company. He worked for Dunn in Boston until it closed. He worked at Raytheon Company for the majority of his career before taking an early retirement.
He was a longtime member of West Congregational Church in West Peabody while raising his family. The family enjoyed summer camping trips at Camp Iroquois on Lake Winnipesaukee and occasional ski trips to Wildcat, his favorite mountain. He was active as an amateur (ham) radio operator (W1TUM) and a lifetime member of the U.S. Power Squadron.
He purchased a Marine Trader Trawler Yacht in 1986 and lived aboard for about 20 years in MA. He enjoyed cruising the northeastern coast and long cruises like the Intracoastal Waterway to FL and back to MA, and a loop from the Hudson River to the Erie Canal system thru NY, the Rideau Canal along the Canadian border, down the Champlain River, thru Lake Champlain and thru the Camplain Canal. He moved back to Wakefield to become a landlubber again and became a member of First Parish Congregational Church.
He was the beloved father of Deborah Severance and her husband Carl of Marlborough and the late Douglas Wheeler. He was the brother of Barbara Pelland and her husband Cliff of NH. Dexter is also survived by his cousins Avis Thomas of Beverly; David Keyes and his wife Karen of Arlington; Stacy Thomas-Vickory and her husband Len of Beverly; and Nathan Thomas of Beverly. He is also survived by his nephews Christopher MacKenzie and Brian MacKenzie, both of NH.
His funeral service will be held at the First Parish Congregational Church, 1 Church St., Wakefield on Monday, May 19 at 11 a.m. Interment, Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to First Parish Congregational Church with a memo in memory of Dexter Wheeler/Organ Restoration Fund. Services are in the care of the McDonald Funeral Home, Wakefield. For guestbook, visit macdonaldfs.com.