MARCIA SUSAN WHEELER

MIDDLEBURY — Marcia Susan Wheeler passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family on March 1, 2025, at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington, Vt., after unexpected complications during her cancer treatment.

Marcia was born on April 2, 1950, in Hanover, N.H., the daughter of Donald W. Wheeler and Velma Watson Wheeler of Woodstock, Vt. Despite her out-of-state beginnings, she was a proud lifelong Vermonter and loved to reminisce about her mid-century childhood in an idyllic small town.

She graduated from Woodstock Union High School in 1968 and attended Boston University for three years. After a break from academic studies to experience life, including backpacking around Europe, she entered the UVM School of Nursing, graduating in 1978. While in her last year of nursing school, she began a serendipitous clinical placement at Addison County Home Health & Hospice and soon realized that visiting nursing was what she was meant to do. Upon graduating as an R.N., she was hired by ACHH&H, beginning a forty-year career there, first as a visiting nurse for twenty years, and then as Director of the Hospice Program for twenty years.

As a visiting nurse in a rural county, Marcia entered the homes of patients from all walks of life and challenges, learning and appreciating their “stories.” She brought respect and compassion for both her patients and their families as she helped her patients through the process of dying at home on their own terms, with dignity, comfort and peace. It was her privilege to do this.

As Hospice Director she supported a skilled team of clinicians who also shared Marcia’s values and commitment to respectful, compassionate end of life care. Through the decades, Marcia contributed to the congeniality and collaborative culture of the agency she loved. She, in turn, was loved by so many and it is there where many of her closest friendships in life took root. After her retirement these bonds continued to the day of her unexpected death.

Although an intensely private person, Marcia reached out and did endlessly kind deeds for those needing support. She loved and was loved by her own and life partner Susan’s families and had a deep connection with her beloved niece and two nephews. Family get-togethers, road trips short and long, jigsaw puzzles, driving down an unknown country road, summer visits for 35 years to Ogunquit, Maine, attending the Ogunquit Playhouse, and vacations to the Canary Islands and Italy were but a few of her pleasures. She was a constant reader — Louise Penny and Barbara Kingsolver were favorites — and had a particular interest in the Civil War and Native American cultures. Nightly Jeopardy was a must.

Marcia’s mantra both at work and in life, when things were challenging was, “we’ll figure it out.” She always did.

She is survived by her life partner of forty years, Susan Prager; her brothers Kevin Wheeler (Sakorn) of Fremont Calif., and Donald R. Wheeler (Betsy) of Woodstock, Vt.; niece Dianne Wheeler Zenowich (Brian) of Wayland, Mass.; nephews Colin Wheeler of Newark, Calif., and Timothy Wheeler (Taylor) of Salt Lake City, Utah; and great nieces Emily June Zenowich and Lillian Rose Zenowich of Wayland, Mass.

A celebration of Marcia’s life will be held at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made in Marcia’s memory to the Open Door Clinic, 100 Porter Dr., Middlebury, VT 05753 or HOPE, 282 Boardman St., Middlebury, VT 05753. ◊