Obituary

David Shawn Wheeler, 59, of Charleston, WV, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2023, following a battle with cancer.

Shawn was born in Charleston, in 1964, to C. David Wheeler and Karen S. Wheeler. He graduated from Charleston High School and West Virginia State University with a degree in accounting. Shawn attended WVU law school.

At an early age, Shawn fell in love with aviation and started working at Eagle Aviation at Yeager Airport at the age of 14 in 1979. Shawn obtained his private pilot’s license, became instrument rated and earned his twin-engine license. Shawn began reading the Wall Street Journal as a teenager and loved business.

He was a certified public accountant and started his accounting career at Ellis & Ellis followed by Ernst & Young. After leaving EY, he provided tax and consulting services to Westfalia Mining Progress where he met his wife, Susan. They were married in 1996. Since his public accounting days, he has been an owner and partner in multiple businesses including Brown Electric Co. Inc., an industrial electrical contracting company operating in West Virginia and the surrounding region, Cornerstone Technology Group and Microage in Charleston.

We are a family of faith who believe he is safe with God and joined by members of the family that have gone on before and have welcomed him with joy and open arms. Shawn had an incredible impact on everyone that met him. He was a man of integrity, extremely intelligent, very well read and had a strong work ethic. He valued everyone’s opinion and always enjoyed a good intellectual discussion. He treasured his airport community and gym community at the Nautilus in Kanawha City. You would see him at the gym on a daily basis. Shawn loved his wife, Susan and his daughter, Marcie and their animal kingdom (Samuel, Sylvia and Bailey). He treasured his time at home and flying/traveling with his family. Shawn humbly contributed his time, treasure, and talents. You could find him vacuuming leaves at St. Agnes Church in Kanawha City, keeping the book at the Charleston Catholic High School girls’ basketball games or helping out a friend in need. He never asked for anything in return. Shawn was a member of Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart where he had a host of friends.

Surviving are Susan, his loving wife of 27 years and his daughter, Marcie; his mother, Karen Wheeler; his brother Jeffery (Tracy) Wheeler of North Carolina and sister April (Matt) Hiller of Pennsylvania. He is also survived by nieces and nephews: Grace, Jacob and Jeffrey Wheeler, Jonathan, Isabel, Micah and Will Hiller and Chrisandra (Tyler), Alex and Katelyn Polacek. Shawn also leaves behind many friends that will miss him dearly.

We appreciate his friends for supporting him throughout this journey. Special thanks to Shawn’s friend Jarrell Ryan who flew with Shawn to and from the Cleveland Clinic throughout his treatments.

Memorial service will be held at 10: 30 a.m. Saturday, November 11, 2023, at Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1114 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 10, 2023, at the church.

To celebrate Shawn’s love of aviation, remembrances can be made in the form of contributions to the D. Shawn Wheeler Aviation Scholarship, Marshall University Foundation, 519 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25703.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.