2024-04-21 13:39:21
Jock Rodgers Wheeler was born on September 9, 1932 to Francis Thompson Wheeler and Genevieve Bell Wheeler. He grew up in Hampton, Virginia, where he attended Hampton High School, before matriculating at the Virginia Military Institute. After graduating VMI with academic stars in 1954, Jock attended the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, where he earned his MD and stayed to complete his surgical training with Drs. to complete David Hume.
By 1960, Jock was commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Navy. He traveled with a Marine fighter squadron for four years as their dedicated flight surgeon – including to Guantanamo Bay for the Bay of Pigs invasion.
After his service, Jock returned to MCV for his residency – during which he accepted an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Westminster Hospital in London. While there, Jock worked closely with Sir Roy Calne and Sir Peter Medawar – both widely recognized as early pioneers in organ transplantation and immunology.
While Jock was still in London when Sir Winston Churchill died, he acted as an emergency worker at Westminster Hall while the prime minister lay in state. This event was one of Jock’s fondest memories of his time in London.
In 1966, Jock settled in Norfolk, Virginia and began his surgical practice. Four years later, he established the kidney transplant program at Norfolk General Hospital and shortly therefollowing performed the first ever kidney transplant in Hampton Roads.
Jock also served on the faculty of Eastern Virginia Medical School as a professor of surgery beginning in 1974. His passion for educating the next generation of surgeons is what makes him and his long-time surgical partner, dr. Roger Gregory, led to establish the Vascular Surgery Society in 1975. At the time it was one of only twenty in the country. He served as this program’s director until 1994. This fellowship is still training emerging vascular surgeons today – 49 years later.
Jock decided to leave private practice in 1994 to become the Chair of Surgery at the EVMS. He was only in that role for 6 months before being appointed as the school’s next Dean and Provost. He served in that capacity for five years before retiring in 1999 as Emeritus Professor of Surgery.
As a result of his many contributions to the field of vascular surgery and his exemplary career, Jock has received a number of appointments and accolades – including being elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, the Southern Surgical Association and the Society for Vascular Surgery become He served as president of Virginia Vascular, the Southern Association of Vascular Surgeons, and the Medical Staff at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. He also received an honorary degree from EVMS, the Caravari Service Award from the MCV, and was appointed as the chairman of the Optima Health Plan.
Jock is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Francis Thompson Wheeler, II, his sister-in-law Josiane Wheeler, and stepfather Guilto Guillette. He is survived by his wife Bonnie Martinette Wheeler and five children: Catherine Williams (Dan), Berkley Wheeler (Bruce), Whitney Wheeler, Jock Wheeler, Jr. (Charlene) and Kensey Edwards (Josh). He is also survived by his fourteen favorite grandchildren: Jeff Bedford, Richard Bedford (Madison), Carter Summerville (Jurrand), Bebe Chittenden, Maxwell Chittenden, Emery Chittenden, McKinley Wheeler, Chase Orrell, Casey Wheeler, Carley Wheeler, SueAnn Wheeler, Berkley Wheeler, Lila Wheeler and Rodgers Edwards. Jock’s favorite great-grandchildren are: Liam Bedford, Connor Bedford and Oakley Summerville.
Jock’s interests were too numerous to mention. Throughout his lifetime, he loved being on the water – whether it was teaching his children the meaning of “red, right, return” or spending the day fishing with Nick Ferguson. He also had a large collection of orchids, many rehabilitated by well-meaning friends and family. He enjoyed playing golf and was instrumental in the redesign of the Princess Anne Country Club.
A celebration of Jock’s life will be held on April 25, 2024, at 1:00 PM at Galilee Episcopal Church (3928 Pacific Avenue, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451). A reception will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to the Jock R. Wheeler MD Scholarship through the EVMS Foundation, the Organ Project at Galilee Church, or the VMI Foundation. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.
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