Marlene Wheeler

LILY MARLENE WHEELER Nov. 26, 1933 - Jan. 20, 2013 Marlene passed away peacefully January 20, 2013. She is survived by her three children: Greg (Diane) of Chico; Jeff (Mariza) of Mesa, AZ and Kathy of San Jose; six grandchildren: Christopher (Andrea), Matthew (Loralie), Nicholas (Maria), Benjamin (Nicole), Emily, and Jared; six great-grandchildren; and her sisters, Deanne (Dean) Stevens, Marjorie Sutton; and brother, Timothy Staley. Marlene was the first born to Clifford and Lily Staley in Kimberly, Idaho. Upon graduation from High School, she moved to Southern CA to attend Business School. After marrying, she moved to the Bay Area with her husband, Warren upon his discharge from the Navy. There, with her husband, she raised her family, all while working for Sylvania as an executive secretary in the late 1950's -60's. She then in 1964, followed her boss, Dr. William Perry (who later became Secretary of Defense in the Clinton Administration), when he founded a company known as ESL. Marlene had top government security clearance as she was instrumental in creating the proposals ESL submitted for U.S. Government and Military contracts. Retiring from the workforce for a period of time, Marlene left the Bay Area and moved to Chico in 1993 and worked for 11 years doing bookkeeping for a local farm which her son manages. She truly enjoyed the farming community and all the people and workers she came to know until health issues forced her to retire once again. She is preceded in death by both her parents. Through her life, Marlene was always willing to lend a helping hand or more importantly an ear to those in need even when it was difficult for her. Now pain free and at peace, Marlene will be deeply missed by all those she loved and cared for. Private Services were held with burial at Glen Oaks Memorial Park.