Tom Wheeler

Tom Wheeler moved to Boaz as he was entering the first grade. The son of Tom Sr. and Marge Wheeler, his father had just begun work with Marshall-DeKalb Coop. While growing up, Tom participated in the Boy Scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout, and was a member of the Boaz High School Band. Upon entering the ninth grade, Tom gave up the band to play basketball and football.

Had it not been for the intervention of Coach Dennis Hicks, Tom’s sports career could have been short-lived. Tom did not make the first team junior high squad, but Coach Hicks, through his own initiative, volunteered to create a second junior high basketball team. The team was average at best, but it opened the door to high school basketball for Tom, Moe Smith, Jimmy Smith, and others. Tom went on to excel at basketball during his senior year, playing on a team that finished the regular season at 20-6. This team went on to finish fourth in the State Tournament, and Tom was selected first team All-State. Marshall County Sports Hall of Fame Coach C. K. “Preacher” Gant was Tom’s basketball coach, and Tom is quick to give him the credit for helping to develop his basketball skills. Three of his team’s six losses as a senior were at the hands of the 1965 State 2A championship DAR team coached by another Hall of Fame member, John Kitchens. While in high school, Tom also played on the football team four years. As a senior, he started as a defensive and offensive end. He also served as the punter his junior and senior years. The highlight of his senior season was beating archrival Albertville for the first time in 21 years. Tom caught a touchdown pass to help preserve a 14-6 victory. Tom’s Hall of Fame football coach, Billy Hudson, also played a vital role in helping him develop as an athlete. Although football was not Tom’s best sport, as a senior he was named honorable mention on the 1964 Birmingham-Post Herald All-State Football Squad.

In 1965, Tom was awarded a scholarship to play basketball for Coach Roy Skinner at Vanderbilt University. After one year of freshman ball and a year on the scout team, a back injury cut his college career short. Tom then transferred to Auburn University to complete a degree in electrical engineering.

After graduating from Auburn, Tom took a job in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he worked as a test engineer for Pratt-Whitney Aircraft. It was in West Palm Beach that he met his wife, Linda. They have been married for over 37 years. Tom still says it was the best day of his life when he met Linda. Throughout their life, Tom and Linda have enjoyed sports together, playing tennis, skiing, and going to sporting events. In 1971, Linda and Tom moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, where he went to work for Cleveland Utilities as a distribution engineer. Tom has since served as general manager of Cleveland Utilities since 1989, which provides electric, water, and wastewater service to Cleveland and Bradley County.

Tom has always been active in his community, serving as chairman of the United Way, Rotary Club, Boys and Girls Club, Chamber of Commerce, and the local hospital board. Along the way, Tom has received several community awards, among them the Robert Varnell Leadership Award and the William Johnson Service Award. In his profession, he received the Richard C. Crawford Distinguished Service Award given by the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association.