Petty Officer 2nd Class James M. Wheeler
Petty Officer 2nd Class James M. Wheeler graduated from Canton High and studied diesel mechanics at Blue Hills Institute (now Massasoit CC). Jim served our Navy from 1981 to 1985. He was a welder, repairing and maintaining nuclear submarines in Groton, CT and he boxed competitively for the team at the base. After Groton, he went to San Diego, where he repaired and maintained the engineering spaces on the USS Barbey (FF-1088).
After his discharge, he returned to his work at Payne Engineering, and also returned to school. He also changed his name to James M. Delacono. Jim passed away in 1989. His death was caused by his military duty which exposed him to ionizing radiation and being a welder, welding with thorium tipped welding rods which the Navy used at that time. It caused acute lymphocytic leukemia which took his life.
He always loved and wrote music and poetry, and he did calligraphy and some art in oils. He was a loyal friend and very outgoing with a sense of humor.
