Curtis (Curt) Ed Wheeling
July 21, 1947 – September 16, 2022
Curt Wheeling passed away September 16, 2022, at Kaiser Hospital, Santa Rosa, California, from complications of a stroke and brain cancer.
Curt was born July 21, 1947 to Walter and Theresa Wheeling in Great Falls, Montana. He was the middle child in a family of three siblings, older sister Karen and younger brother Terry. The family moved from Great Falls to Grand Forks, North Dakota, then in 1956 to Helena, Montana. Curt went to Helena schools, graduating from Helena Senior High School with the class of 1965. He attended Montana State University in Bozeman, graduating with a BS in Engineering.
After graduation, he worked as a bar tender for a while, then he and two friends bought a 50 foot sail boat, and spent 2+ years sailing the California coast and the South Pacific.
In 1973, Curt was hired as Communications Director for Governor Tom Judge, a position he held until 1981. He then went to work for AT&T in Helena, where he met his future wife, Lee Hargesheimer. They married in 1977, and he became dad to her two children. They moved to Aurora, Colorado, but parted ways in a few years. Curt later lived in Morristown, New Jersey, and then moved to the Bay Area in California where he continued to work for AT&T. He moved to Santa Rosa in 1999. He worked for, and bought and sold various telecom companies, including MCI, David Systems, Brooks, ATG, Phase Seven, and NTS Labs.
While in Sonoma County Curt was active in the community, including helping raise funds for the new Humane Society of Sonoma County facility on Hwy 12, and the Senior Center at the Finley Center in Santa Rosa. He was one of the first recipients of the Spirit of Sonoma Award.
2011 brought major health issues, and multiple hospitalizations and surgeries over the years. Curt never lost his wicked sense of humor, right up to the end.
He is survived by his sister, Karen (Loren) Hester, niece Heidi Hester, of Bozeman, Montana, brother Terry (Gail Kuntz) Wheeling, niece Maren Wheeling of Helena, Montana, and his step-children Stacey and Josh Hargesheimer of Missoula, Montana. Curt is also survived by special friends, Chris and Vance Love of Healdsburg, California, Judith Anne Vincent of Helena, Montana, and Ericka Wanliss and Angie Collodi, both of Santa Rosa.
Eggen and Lance Chapel in Santa Rosa are in charge of cremation. Interment will be private in the Hope Lutheran Church Memorial Arboretum in Bozeman, Montana.
If you would like to remember Curt in a special way, donations may be made in his memory to the Humane Society of Sonoma County, PO Box 1296, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-1296.
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I first met Curt when he became a Resident at my previous job, Solstice Senior Living, and I was assigned as his housekeeper, and he always had either Red Vines or Peanut M&Ms and a Diet Coke waiting for me. Curt had a very wicked sense of humor and he always said what was on his mind, good or bad and there was never an in between, what u saw is what u got. I will always remember Curt with great fondness and I will miss him tremendously, and I will miss our conversations. RIP Curt and Fly High with the Angels😇
I am one of his fellow residents at Solstice and broke bread with him many times in our Dining.
Curt and I had our differences, he was really a man’s man and I hope to see him in Heaven!
Curt & I were 1st cousins (our mothers were sisters). I didn’t have a lot of “personal time” with Curt mostly because of distance. Our families did spend a few Christmases together while he was still a kid living in Helena. Then, one fall – 1964 or ’65 (I don’t remember for sure) – I decided to make a trip before returning to college. I headed to Helena, picked up Curt, and we went to Yellowstone National Park. We had great time. Others have commented on his “wicked” sense of humor, and they weren’t lying. I can attest to that as he played a small part in a certain ‘spontaneous’ event at his sister Karen’s wedding. He was fun to know and be around.
Curt – to coin a phrase; “the wind will now always be at your back, cousin, and the sun will always warm your face.” RIP.