Dr. Otis V. "O.V" Wheeler Jr., 88, passed away on Thursday, May 1, 2014, in Columbia.
A graveside memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia with a reception to follow at the Wheeler residence.
O.V. was born Oct. 1, 1925, in Silex, to Otis and Pearlie Wheeler. On June 7, 1947, he married Virginia "Ginger" Rogers.
O.V. served as a naval aviator from 1943-1952. He began a career in the Columbia Public Schools in 1961 and became principal at Ridgeway Elementary School in 1963. The Individually Guided Education program (IGE) was inaugurated at Ridgeway in 1972, and O.V. was recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Principal in 1985. In 1987, he received the University of Missouri, College of Education Alumni Citation of Merit Award and was named Columbia Public Schools' Outstanding Administrator of the Year 1989-90. Dr. Wheeler retired from Columbia Public Schools with 30 years of service in 1991 and was inducted into the Columbia Public Schools Foundation Hall of Leaders in 2000.
He is survived by his wife, Ginger; daughter Jan; grandson Nicholas; granddaughter Emily; and three great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by grandson Nathan in 1984; grandson Chris in 1985; and son Mark in 2000.
A graveside memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia with a reception to follow at the Wheeler residence.
O.V. was born Oct. 1, 1925, in Silex, to Otis and Pearlie Wheeler. On June 7, 1947, he married Virginia "Ginger" Rogers.
O.V. served as a naval aviator from 1943-1952. He began a career in the Columbia Public Schools in 1961 and became principal at Ridgeway Elementary School in 1963. The Individually Guided Education program (IGE) was inaugurated at Ridgeway in 1972, and O.V. was recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Principal in 1985. In 1987, he received the University of Missouri, College of Education Alumni Citation of Merit Award and was named Columbia Public Schools' Outstanding Administrator of the Year 1989-90. Dr. Wheeler retired from Columbia Public Schools with 30 years of service in 1991 and was inducted into the Columbia Public Schools Foundation Hall of Leaders in 2000.
He is survived by his wife, Ginger; daughter Jan; grandson Nicholas; granddaughter Emily; and three great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by grandson Nathan in 1984; grandson Chris in 1985; and son Mark in 2000.
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