Gilbert E. Wheeler

Visitation for Gilbert E. Wheeler, 78, of Kankakee, will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. Saturday at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, west Kankakee, until the 9:45 a.m. procession to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Kankakee for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass. Burial will be in All Saints Cemetery in Bourbonnais. Memorials may be made for Masses or for the American Cancer Society. He passed away Tuesday (Sept. 20, 2011) at Miller Center. Mr. Wheeler and his wife owned and operated Adcraft Printers for 50 years, during which time their sons joined them in the business, and are now the current operators. He was born June 5, 1933, in Kankakee, the son of Gilbert H. and Constance St. Germaine Wheeler. He lived his entire life in Kankakee County. Mr. Wheeler's first priority was always his family. He was a veteran of the Korean conflict, serving on the front line of battle for 13 months. He enjoyed antique automobiles, traveling, golfing and bowling. He was a lifelong parishioner of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and was an active member. He was a member of the American Legion, VFW, a third- and fourth-degree Knight of Columbus, a past president of the St. Rose School PTO, a past 25-year member of the Kankakee County Training Center for the disabled and a charter member of the Kankakee Valley Vintage Car Club. Surviving are his wife, the former Anna Marie "Ann" Bertrand, whom he married June 19, 1954; three sons and one daughter-in-law, Scott Wheeler, of Quincy, Dallas and Mary Wheeler, of Kankakee, and Erik Wheeler, of Ashkum; a special son, Greg Lueckenhoff, of Quincy; one daughter, Sherry Ashcraft Scray, of Chicago; 10 grandchildren, Brian (Marissa) Wheeler, of Las Vegas, Nev., Lauren Wheeler, of Bloomington; Houston, Tyler, Kaliegh, Brandi and Stefanie Wheeler, all of Kankakee, and Jimmy, Elizabeth and Stephen Scray, of Chicago; one brother and sister-in-law, Theodore and Lois Wheeler, of Bradley; five sisters and three brothers-in-law, Jacqueline and Carson Cross, of Goodrich, Constance Denault, of Rantoul, Barbara and Maynard Denault, and Linda Patterson, all of Kankakee, and Rosemary and Daniel Babinski, of Bradley; two brothers-in-law, Duane Bertrand, of Kankakee, and Vearl Brouillet, of Manteno; two sisters-in-law, Marge Wheeler, of Kankakee, and Mary Turngren, of Bourbonnais; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Mary; a son, Larry; his parents; a sister, Dorothy Brouillet; and two brothers, David and Richard. Memorials may be made for Masses or for the American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org/

Gilbert E. Wheeler

June 5, 1933 - September 20, 2011