James D. Wheeler

September 23, 1959 - February 18, 2015

PITTSBURG – James D. Wheeler, 55, passed away on Wednesday evening, Feb. 18, 2015, at the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook after a battle with cancer. Jim was born on Sept. 23, 1959, in West Stewartstown, and he was raised in Pittsburg on the family farm. He attended the Pittsburg schools and was a graduate of Pittsburg High School in 1978. He was very active with all the family businesses over the years. Jim drove school buses, and he knew all the routes. He took many athletic trips and even the longer class trips. You always knew Jim could be counted on to handle any situation. He was as good as it gets when it came to trimming trees. There were many Christmas trees planted over the years, and many to be cut, and Jim knew all the phases of the work that was required, and was capable of doing it all. He enjoyed competing with other tree growers at local fairs and especially at the “Big E” Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Mass. His entries won many ribbons and he made many friends with people who came into the NH state building. He particularly enjoyed spending time there with his friend, Colon Chapple. Landscaping was another project that Jim took a lot of pride in, and he was very good at that, too. He enjoyed making snowmobile trails with his cousin, Dennis. He later lived in Colebrook, and became a licensed nurse’s aid, and was a caregiver for local elderly people in their homes, many of whom came to love Jim as if he was one of their own. It was very easy to be proud of Jim. He was his father’s caregiver for many years, taking him to his appointments at the VA in Manchester, Boston or White River Junction, checking on his dad twice a day, 7 days a week. In his final days, Jim lived with Pam and Ray Choquette in Pittsburg, and they became like family to him. Jim is survived by his father, Claude Wheeler, currently of Berlin, NH, his many cousins, and his beloved feline companion, “Titty.” He is preceded in death by his sister, Claudia, in 1987 when she was a senior in high school. Jim will be privately interred in the family lot at the Indian Stream Cemetery in the spring. There are no public services. Expressions of sympathy in memory of Jim may be made to Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home, 103 Main St., Colebrook, NH 03576 to help defray final expenses. Condolences may be offered to the family on-line by going to www.jenkinsnewman.com. Funeral arrangements in NH are under the direction of Jenkins & Newman Funeral Home in Colebrook.