Tribute to Brian Wheeler

What can you say about a man who lived larger than life. There was no half measure with Brian. Brian entered a room and you knew it, by the size of his personality.

I once remember going into a restaurant before him and told the hostess that a tall large fellow would be coming in who talked funny- bring him over. She had no trouble figuring out who I meant.

Brian himself described himself as “ strong as an ox and healthy as a bear.” One person described him as bullet proof. He was not afraid of much and he did not let “can’t be done” stop him.

The number of times people would confide in me that they had a hard time understanding him - well that’s a huge number. Brian was gifted with a strong Newfie accent. He loved his Newfoundland heritage. He would talk quickly and I would watch blank stares look back at him. Most of the time he did it for effect and he would giggle inside, unless of course he was excited or on a great story. That was Brian.

Yes, I said was. My husband was tragically killed last week in a horrific fatal vehicle accident. It took the wind right out of my sails, flattened me completely. With Brian being a kidder and bit of a jokester I even had to ask the officer if this was a for real call. I am fairly annoyed with Brian at the moment and am sure I will hear his pick up truck barrel up the driveway anytime so I can tell him. I want to phone him - often. As a trucker much of our life was done on the phone 10-20 times a day.

Brian and I had an agreement, I was going first. He was my retirement plan- he knew it. It came with wheelchair pushing duties and looking after me, you know for whenever I got old. It especially came with the fact that he was NOT meeting Jesus first. This was a core argument. He would make me so mad over something that I’d threaten to take him out (pretend) and he’d quip back “oh good I get to meet Jesus first”. That would make me back down immediately. It was running commentary for us.

I met Brian fishing. I had been taken out to Spring Lake by a couple guys who rented my basement suite, one being my nephew. They spotted Brian and proceeded to warn me about him. “Auntie Jane there’s a guy here from work, he has a bit of a foul mouth and he smokes those awful captain blacks.”

I assured them that I had heard bad language before I knew I could take it.

We went down to the wharf and began chatting with this big fella who I found did not have too much to say. But he got to talking about some kind of reckless stunt he had pulled and I asked the question, “aren’t you afraid of getting hurt or killed?”

He leaned on the railing, looked me square in the eye, took a drag on that captain black and said something about that he really did not care. So I asked did he know where he would go if he died, “heaven or hell.”

He sat there staring at me no expression on his face as if he was sizing me up (probably who is this weird woman) and finally said, “don’t think it matters much.”

Well that’s not an answer you give to a red headed spontaneous Bible teacher like me! After a 20 minute lecture I finally stopped talking. I do not think Brian and I talked after that and I kind of felt bad that I had lambasted him with a sermon. But people need to know or have the opportunity to be given the choice- heaven, hell, it is a choice.

How was I to know that I had sealed my fate with a big Newfoundland guy cause he always said that conversation was why he kept coming around after that. All fishermen use different bait, I had no idea I had baited the hook and or that he had taken it. Personally I had no idea I was fishing.

Turns out that it was another fishing incident that was the catalyst for change in our worlds. We had gone out again fishing at the same lake. He caught a nice rainbow trout. There was a fish cleaning station that we headed over to. I watched him get his knife out but he seemed to be holding the fish strangely.

I asked him what he was doing. He replied that he was trying to not get his hands all fishy so that he wouldn’t get the steering wheel of the truck all smelly.

I eye rolled and sighed at this big strapping man, grabbed the fish and the knife and proceeded to cut its head off and do a bang up job gutting and cleaning the fish. Brian said it was at that moment he knew I was a keeper.

Now I had a problem, being a Christian I was not interested in guys who weren’t. So we hung out as friends and he started coming to church eventually. I even tried to set him up with other women.

I remember one day where he said something about God, it was different. I asked him what he meant. He said that he had asked God to be a part of his life. I was stunned and asked when this had happened. He said about 3 weeks ago while he was out hunting.

Me, “why didn’t you tell me?”

Him, “it had nothing to do with you.”

That is how I knew it was true, the man was a believer in Jesus. He probably had no idea how his life would change and he would not have traded it for anything. God and Brian were now buds. God gave Brian a name, “Son of Thunder”. It fit him perfectly.

Brian was a genius in ideas and building. God had gifted him with the ability to build something with the plans downloaded in his head. Bri could visualize something and then do up a parts list and then build it. The problem was no once else got to see the plan or knew exactly how it should look. It was both genius and frustrating.

One fellow explained about working with Brian. He said that Brian had a very set point of view on how to build something. When you first started working with him you’d think who did this guy think he was? He seemed to be kind of a know it all. But he said, as you watched him work, you quite quickly realized that this fellow knew what he was doing. He said, “I learned to respect that about Brian.”

Brian loved to build wood projects. I think if we could have made a go of wood working projects, that is what he wanted to do.

Brian could fix almost anything. He just could figure it out, he loved puzzles. He was so kind hearted that if anyone ever needed help - he would be there. I cannot guess how many people we have stopped to help stranded by the side of the road.

Brian made good and solid friends that he shared his life with. These friends have been called upon to help at least once or twice in one of Brians many projects. He never lacked imagination of what else he could build, there was always projects on the go.

He scared little children with his size and enjoyed it. But he would not quit til he won that child over to be his friend either in a bank line up or wherever.

Brian loved kids maybe because he was an over grown one himself. He would often say, “we are all kids in Gods eyes” to back it up. Our little granddaughter was deemed by him as “the little ball of cuteness” and he adored her, absolutely adored her. I feel so sad that she will not get to spend more time with her grandpa Brian.

If I answered the phone and got the phrase “how much do you love me?” I knew one of 2 things. He has run out of gas or he was stuck somewhere with no shovel.

Brian made me laugh. He was my greatest cheerleader. When I did event planning I knew he would be there to set up, take down, run an errand. There are times where I would be teaching my Bible study or have a meeting and the roads were iffy Brian would stop everything and drive me in, wait and drive me home. Even simply waiting in the truck for me to finish.

He was not perfect, but he was Brian and he was loved by me, his family, my family, his friends and most everyone who knew him. But most of all Brian was adored by his Heavenly Father, who loved Him and with whom he is now hanging out with.

TIL we meet again Bri, I will hold you in my heart.

A Celebration of Brian will be held Sunday November 10 at 3:00 at Beaverlodge Alliance Church. In Lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Brian Wheeler Chapel fund. We have been building a chapel on our property and it is only half completed and Brian has put so much sweat equitly in it, I would like to complete it in Brians honor. More info on this will be on Beaverlodge Funeral Website on Friday.