Rebecca "Becky" L. Wheelock, Died April 26, 2017

Rebecca L. Wheelock

Died April 26, 2017

CEDAR - Rebecca Lynn Wheelock passed away at the age of 48 on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at her home in Cedar, after a 9-year long battle with stage 4 breast cancer.

It is with great sadness and immeasurable grief that I, Paul Wheelock, announce the passing of my precious Becky.  I was able to hold her in my arms as she accepted her graduation honors and was welcomed into glory by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

Becky was born in Traverse City and lived and grew up in the Suttons Bay area, attending and graduating from Suttons Bay High School in 1986.  It was on the way to her high school graduation that I, Paul Wheelock, after having dated her for two years, swung the car into our favorite place and asked her to marry me.  That was the single greatest day of my life.  Having been an honor roll student, a favorite of each and every one of her teachers and always involved in class governing, there wasn’t a single person that didn’t like Becky.

She was an avid member of 4-H in Leelanau County for years where she was involved with raising and learning about many types of animals.  Her favorite by far being the dozens and dozens of goats she got to raise up over the years.

We were married in 1987 and by 1996, Becky was neck deep in raising six amazing sons.  We, well mostly her, made the decision prior to our oldest being born that she wanted to be a stay at home mom and concentrate all of her efforts on raising 6 godly young men who would grow and mature into the very best of both of us.  What an amazing mother she was, home schooling all of them for several years and then being an intricate part of their everyday lives after they began attending public school in Suttons Bay and later, in Traverse City at TC West High School.

In 2006 she helped to launch our very own pest control business in Leelanau County and the surrounding area.  It was her amazing attitude and smile that you could literally sense through the phone that attracted the several thousand customers that have called on us over these past 12 years.  She was the heart and soul of everything we are and did and will be missed by so many in our customer base.

In 2009, after her first mammogram at the age of 40, Becky got the devastating news that she had stage 4 breast cancer, the cancer having migrated to her bones.  Needless to say, after a couple of years it became evident to her medical team and the rest of us that Becky was going to carve out her own statistical path and not settle for the 24-36 month program the national average thought she should have.

She endured so much pain, agony, setbacks and pressure these past 9 years but to anyone who knew her and to my great honor as her husband, she very seldom showed any of that.  Becky’s days were spent doing one thing and one thing only ~ enriching the lives of those around her and loving each of us with everything she had.

  

Her absence will be something impossible to outlive or get over and her love and companionship will never be replicated.  But knowing she is with her King and her Savior and that I and so many others will see her again very soon, in a very deep and profound way, makes the grief bearable and the heartache survivable.

Becky’s greatest fear and worry these past couple of years as things began to digress, was that she would miss out on the two things most precious to her post motherhood.  Growing old with me and being a grandmother.  Her greatest joy outside of our marriage was knowing that she would have more little ones to spoil and would be able to grow old doing what she does best, pouring her heart and soul into other precious people and watching them blossom and become the very best of who and what she was.  And that is the very thing that makes her passing so unfair and so incredibly painful.  Anyone that knew her knows exactly what these precious grandchildren will be deprived of but also knows what amazing fathers to those little ones her sons will be because of who she was.

Becky is survived by her husband Paul Wheelock, her six sons Timothy (Teia), Andrew (Jessica), David, Stephen, James (Megan) and Jonathon, her parents, several cousins, aunts, uncles and her two precious granddaughters, Araya and Alora, daughters of Tim and Teia.  She is also survived by her brother from another mother, Barry Dunklow.

Becky was the daughter of Harley (Bud) and Roberta Boone (Scamehorn).  She was preceded in death by her grandparents Jake and Bee Boone and Robert and Garnet Scamehorn.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 pm. on Friday, May 5 at the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay.  The memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 6 at Suttons Bay High School with the family greeting friends at 10 a.m.  A luncheon at the school will follow the service.  Your presence would be something Becky would cherish.

In honor of Becky and at her request, she would very much like everyone to take some time over the next few weeks and months, find a rocking chair, slide up next to a loved one and admire some beautiful flowers and then, when you head inside after a relaxing and enjoyable time rocking away, grab your favorite cookie recipe and bake till your hearts content and your loved ones bellies are full.  And when you spot a pretty flower, smell a tasty treat, see a couple married for 30 years or more like us or hear the sounds of happy children, think of Becky and smile.

All of us who knew her and had the amazing privilege of being a part of her life at one point or another are ourselves, better and more blessed because of it.  We’ll see you again sweetheart, but not yet, not yet!

Memorials may be directed to the family.

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