Meadowlakes councilor dies
Meadowlakes Place 1 City Councilor Don Wheeler died after suffering a severe heart attack Monday, Feb. 3. His death was reported Wednesday by Mayor Mark Bentley in his weekly email.
Wheeler was less than a year into his first term on the Meadowlakes City Council but is remembered as an active member of the city’s leadership team.
According to city officials, the remaining five councilors will appoint a new member to take the Place 1 seat and finish out the remainder of Wheeler’s term, which ends in 2026. No solid timeline for an appointment had been established as of Wednesday afternoon.
“Don was elected just eight months ago and immediately became an active member of the City Council, bringing his construction expertise to the table,” wrote Mayor Mark Bentley in his weekly email update on city news. “When Don spoke on his area of expertise, people listened. His perspective will not go unappreciated. He embodied small town wisdom. In his short time on the council the architects, contractors, and engineers have sat up and listened intently to Don’s dose of utilitarian practicality. Keep Don’s wife Margaret and family in your prayers.”
Wheeler was elected in May 2024, winning the Place 1 seat against challenger Mike Barry.
Meadowlakes City Manager Will De Roos has only been with the city since November 2024, but he had strong words regarding Wheeler’s impact.
“He was just a great man and was a friend and a mentor in the short time that I knew him,” De Roos told DailyTrib.com. “There is a gap that we probably won’t ever fill, but we have to try.”
Wheeler also served on the Meadowlakes Property Owners’ Association Board of Directors and was heavily involved in the city’s building committee and the design of the new Meadowlakes Community Center.