William Wayne Wheeler

Listened To Children

 A memorial service for William Wayne “Bill” Wheeler will take place Saturday, September 29, at 11 am, at the Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street.

Mr Wheeler, 53, died April 22 in Key West, Fla., after a long battle with cancer. He was the son of George William Wheeler and the late Mary Louise Wheeler of Newtown. He is survived by his father; three sisters, Darleen Pane of Apopka, Fla., Linda Wheeler of Brookfield, and Jacqueline Wheeler of Watertown, Mass.; one brother, Bryant Wheeler of Charles City, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.

Mr Wheeler was born in Danbury, spending his early childhood in Brookfield. After his family relocated to Newtown, Mr Wheeler entered Newtown High School, graduating in 1972. He had high hopes of becoming an archaeologist until he met Mary Lucy, the drama teacher at Newtown High School. Mrs Lucy cast him in Charlie’s Aunt and Bill was then bitten by the acting bug. He attended WestConn, majoring in drama.

Mr Wheeler wrote, produced, directed, and acted in Connecticut, New York State, and New York City. Because of his illness, he moved to Key West for a warmer climate. In Key West, as well as in the Northeast, Mr Wheeler started many children’s theatrical programs. He and his collaborator of more than 25 years, Jan Callner, wrote musicals for children that were produced in theaters up and down the Eastern Seaboard. They also produced recordings with Broadway actors and received acclaim in publications such as Sesame Street, Parents Magazine, The School Library’s Journal, and Family Fun Magazine. They also received the Early Childhood News Director’s Choice Award in 2000.

In a Key West newspaper interview Mr Wheeler was quoted, “We don’t baby-fy children or let them think they can slide by because they are kids.” In the casting of The Wizard of Oz, Bill cast the Munchkins with children, most of them with autism and Down Syndrome. His favorite line was “Adults never listen to children.” He and Ms Callner did, and perhaps that was the secret to their success.

The Newtown Bee      September 21, 2007