Joni Wheeler

Joan passed away on Sunday June 24th 2018 at 11:25AM after suffering a stroke from which there would be no recovery. It hit at end of a family dinner outing on Friday the 22nd while we thankfully were all together. Family and friends surrounded her for the remaining hours of her life; the outpouring of love could be felt by all.

The visitation and memorial service will be held at West Cobb Funeral Home, 2480 Macland Road, Marietta, Ga. 30064. The Visitation will be from Noon to 2PM Saturday June 30th with the Memorial Service to be held at 2PM.
We will be opening our home the rest of the afternoon to any who wish to come by for a moment or a while. All we ask is that you give us time to get home from the service before arriving and to be sure those preparing the home for visitors have completed setting up.

Joan was born in Columbia Missouri and grew up in the suburbs outside Detroit Michigan. She graduated high school in 1976 from Seaholm High and immediately moved to Marietta Ga. There she began adult life working at Treasure Island and Allstate. We met in 1979 and married in 1980. Life was an exciting whirlwind with each year bringing something new including our two wonderful children Valerie and Brian. While still working Joan concentrated on the home and our children, many years were devoted to working for her father, Papa Al as he was known to Valerie and Brian.
Joan was strict with children, not just ours but any who may visit our home. That strictness was coupled with love and understanding, the two went hand in hand. Some of Brian and Valerie’s friends may have started out a bit afraid of her but quickly experienced the love and care that was her personality, her soul. Many proclaimed how much they loved her, and how much she helped them. Events in their lives so buried in my mind as to be forgotten have been brought back to life by these children, now men and women with children of their own. Details of how she helped them accomplish goals, enabled them to attend events and take trips that would have otherwise been impossible. Some commenting about behaviors they now find in themselves when tending their own children. Joan will live on in several generations to come.

After retiring from regular work Joan concentrated on helping raise the grandkids, attending school events, transporting people to these events, providing food and all sorts of things needed to help make such events successful. Valerie and Joan were joined at the hip more weekends and nights than I can count. As time moved on Joan began to care for her mom Rae Lou. Typically she would be there every day and if health incidents appeared she would grab the already packed suitcase and take up residence at Rae Lou’s house or hospital room for weeks at a time.

As a life partner a man could not do better. Joan was the rock, the steadfast one who never lost perspective. She made my efforts useful, valuable. She made my life meaningful and important. I married well above my station and many times I was simply too dumb to realize it. Through her chastising, patience and love we survived and I am a much better man because of her.

Goodness and light was bundled by God and sent to us for a period of time. That time is up, we are devastated but God has called her for she is needed elsewhere. One day we will meet her again and rejoice.

Joan was preceded in death by her father Alton Gabeline. She is survived by her mother Rae Lou Gabeline, her brothers Brad & Scott Gabeline, her husband Keith Wheeler, children Valerie Jones & Brian Wheeler, son & daughter in law Cory Jones & Katherine Wheeler as well as grandchildren Blakelee, Austin & Cameryn Jones.