West Berlin, VT Richard C. Wheeler, 81, born and raised on the family farm in West Berlin, VT and recently residing in South Duxbury, VT, passed away at his residence on April 9, 2012 following a stroke he suffered in late October. Richard was the youngest son of Fred and Ola (Warren) Wheeler. He is survived by two remaining sisters, Evelyn Law and Beverly Parsons and is predeceased by his six brothers and two sisters. Richard attended the Riverton School and upon obtaining his GED served as a mechanic in post-war Germany while in the Army. After taking some courses at Vermont Technical College, he was hired and worked at Green Mountain Power in Montpelier for 30 years as a lineman and later as a member of the electrical maintenance crew. After retirement, he continued to work at Legare's Farm in East Calais as a field hand. Richard is survived by children from his first marriage to Cecelia (Baldwin) Duquette of South Ryegate. They include his son Ernest and his wife Cindy; his daughter Bernardine and her husband Steve; and his son Brian. He was predeceased by his eldest daughter Diane. In 1981 Richard married Marilyn (Nutter). They resided for several years in Marshfield, East Montpelier and Woodbury until his "second" retirement and their subsequent purchase of an RV and move to Arizona. They shared a great love of the outdoors, exploring the countryside and served as caretakers for a couple National Parks in Vermont. They returned frequently to Vermont during the summer months until her passing in 2009. Richard is survived in this union by his step-children Steven G. Nutter and his wife Rose; Stanley A. Nutter; Kevin W. Nutter; Frank W. Nutter, Jr.; Amy L. Sweeney and husband Timothy N. Sweeney. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, fourteen step-grandchildren and five step-grandchildren as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and extended relations. From his time growing up on the farm, Richard had always enjoyed working and recreating outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and growing vegetables in his garden as well as the fields at Legare's. He also enjoyed crossword and jigsaw puzzles, word searches and even took a painting course and dabbled at creating nature scenes which he gave as gifts to family members. He took joy in helping others, be it doing odd jobs around the house, hammering nails, or hiding carrots in his pocket while feeding the family horses. Viewing hours will be at Guare and Sons Funeral Home on School Street in Montpelier from 2 to 4 PM on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Those wishing to express online condolences may do so at www.guareandsons.com.