Joe Frank Wheeler gone too soon
June 15th, 2009, 10:04 pm · 4 Comments · posted by dstevens
Joe Frank Wheeler, a 1973 Clovis High graduate who made even casual acquaintances feel like close friends, died Monday from an apparent heart attack.
Wheeler, the public address announcer of the Amarillo Dillas baseball team, died on the stadium roof as he worked on the sound system hours before the team’s home opener.
He’d been the voice of the Dillas since their inception in 1994, Amarillo Daily News columnist Jon Mark Beilue wrote in his blog on Monday.
“I got to know Joe Frank more than ever last fall when he and I worked several high school football games in Amarillo/Canyon on the radio and shared a couple of road trips to Lubbock and Frenship,” Beilue wrote.
“He could make a road trip pass as fast as a baseball game. He was affable in the car as he seemed to Dillas fans at the Dilla Villa. A native of Clovis, he loved his hometown and loved trivia. He was an encyclopedia of local history, sports and otherwise. He always seemed interested in you and what you were doing.”
Wheeler, 53, also suffered a heart attack in 2000.
We’ll be profiling Wheeler in a story later this week.
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I went to High School with Joe Frank Wheeler. Always smiling, never met a stranger. Sorry to hear of his passing.
I was fortunate to count Joe Frank as a friend. We worked together at KICA in Clovis many years ago.
I was shocked to hear of his death. My heart goes out to his family.
While it has been years since I’ve seen Joe, I’ve thought about him often. The world will be a poorer place without him.
Eighteen years ago I was starting a new job as editor of the Borger News Herald. On my first day I vividly remember a tall man approaching my desk and grinning while offering his hand and the words, “Hi, I’m Joe Frank Wheeler. Welcome to Borger.”
Thus began a friendship with a man who was always willing to help with any story where needed, always willing to give a smile, and always willing to promote this area and the people who live here.
I remember the first day I met him, and the last time I talked to him when we discussed the opening game for the Dillas.
I am deeply saddened by his loss. The region is missing a star, but the things he promoted and helped build will live on and provide a lasting legacy.
I’ll always remember Joe from a high school art class where he argued the benefits and disadvantages of certain hat styles. Rest in peace Joe.