Obituary of Charles Wheatley

Charles Haywood (Chuck) Wheatley Mr. Wheatley, 90, of Charlotte died June 28, 2010, at his home in Charlotte. He was born November 28, 1919, in Beaufort, NC, a son of the late Raymond Benjamin and Bertha Whitehurst Wheatley. After a wonderful childhood growing up in Beaufort, NC, Chuck moved with his family to Wilmington, where he graduated from New Hanover High in 1936. He went on to study at NC State University, earning a Bachelor?s Degree in Architectural Engineering in 1941. While at NC State, he worked as a lifeguard and competed on the swim team. Upon graduation, he joined the U. S. Navy, where he served in the Pacific during World War II. He was one of several landing -craft commanders to aid in the landing of troops at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. After serving five years, he was released from active duty in 1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He then moved to Charlotte , where he began practicing architecture. Chuck soon joined Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, where he was a member for 63 years and sang in the choir for over 50 years. He served as Deacon and five terms as Elder, as treasurer of the church, and on many committees. He was elected Elder Emeritus in 1997. Early in his career he designed the building for Selwyn, and his three children were married in the sanctuary. The firms in which he served as either a partner or sole owner designed many structures in Charlotte as well as in other cities and towns in NC, SC, and VA. These include the original Van Hecke-Wettach Hall Law Building at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Rowe Arts Building at UNC-Charlotte, Randolph Medical Center in Charlotte, the Nuclear Engineering Building at NC State University, and Charlotte?s McDowell Street Post Office. Either alone or in partnership, his work received several design awards from the American Institute of Architects: with Sloan & Wheatley, for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Office Building; as architect for the American Red Cross Building; and with Wheatley-Whisnant & Associates for the Science and Service Center, Collins & Aikman Corp. He served as President of the Charlotte Section of the AIA, and in 1974 was elected to the College of Fellows in the American Institute of Architects. He served for five years on the N. C. State Board of Architectural Examiners and eight years on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Building Standards Advisory Committee. Chuck will always be remembered for his generosity of spirit. He was a past president of the Mecklenburg Kiwanis Club, served as trustee of Alexander Children?s Center for eight years, and was on the Board of Directors of the Charlotte Rescue Mission for 20 years. He was a long-time member of Myers Park Country Club and enjoyed many years of golf there. His greatest pleasure, though, was to return to the shore, where he loved to fish, sail, and dig for clams. One of his favorite activities with the grandchildren was bodysurfing. At heart, he was a man of the sea. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 52 years, Mary Earle (Sis) Cheatham Wheatley; infant son, Charles Haywood Wheatley, Jr.; and two brothers, Rex and Ray. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Query Wheatley, and his children, Lindsay Marshall and her husband Fray of Atlanta, GA; Emily Pease and her husband, Ed, of Williamsburg, VA; and John Wheatley and his wife, Lynn, of Charlotte. He is also survived by his step-children, Evan Wood, Jr. and his wife Julia, and Katherine Micheau and her husband Mike, all of Charlotte, as well as his nephew, Ron Wheatley, also of Charlotte. Grandchildren are Wheatley Marshall of Chicago, IL; Brooks Marshall and wife Kami of Laguna Beach, CA; Lillian Pease of Brooklyn, NY; Mae Pease of Philadelphia, PA; Hunter Pease of Richmond, VA; Charles Wheatley III and John Wheatley of Charlotte, and Matthew and Alyssa Micheau of Charlotte. A memorial service will be held Friday, July 2, at 11:00 o?clock at Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Lori Raible and the Reverend Katherine Cooke officiating. Visitation will follow in the Fellowship Hall of the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Selwyn Avenue Presbyterian Church, 2929 Selwyn Avenue, Charlotte 28209, or to Charlotte Rescue Mission, P. O. Box 33000, Charlotte, NC 28233.