In Loving Memory: Marilyn A. ‘Lynn’ Wheeling
Lynn Wheeling
Lynn Wheeling died Tuesday at 72. She had been suffering from Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease. My heart is heavy today. Lynn, a teacher, artist and children’s book author and illustrator, was the inspiration behind my writing career.
I was a pupil of Lynn’s in the 1970s. She used her own children’s books and signature illustrations as teaching tools, something that was incredibly inspiring. I caught the writing bug early because of Lynn. My Mom couldn’t keep enough paper and ink in the house. Lynn was a constant source of encouragement.
Never underestimate the power of a teacher to inspire.
Lynn was the first person I knew who had turned what she loved to do into a career. I was young, impressionable — and there I sat in the classroom, interacting with a star. My art teacher played in the Majors, just like my hero, Roberto Clemente.
My first love was baseball. My earliest thoughts were that I could play for the Pirates during the summer and spend my winters writing stories. Big money hadn’t yet entered baseball, and many of the players had off-season jobs. My job would be putting words on paper. I knew Clemente would be proud of the way I patrolled the outfield, and I knew Lynn would be proud of me when she saw my byline in the Pittsburgh Press or the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Unlike Clemente, my stadium dream was bigger than my talent; I didn’t have Major League Baseball skills; I could smash a ball into the next county as long as the pitcher threw it straight and fast, but the curveball and a lack of foot speed and defensive abilities destroyed my Pirate hopes.
Like Lynn, however, I could put words and thoughts on paper. In 1985, on a Sunday night in January, I was driving through town and saw Jerry Hines. I ended up going to a watering hole with Jerry, an Annapolis grad and perhaps the smartest man I’ve ever known.
Jerry, middle-aged and retired, had taken to wearing tweed jackets at the time and, in full tweed splendor, got down on the barroom floor and performed a breakdance for the amazed group of twenty-somethings. After we repaired from the tavern, I went home — inspired to compose a poem. I wrote “Breakdancing With Jerry Hines On The Epiphany” that night.
It was my first published work — “published” being defined as taped to the barroom wall at the local Irish pub.
Later in the 1980s I started sending unsolicited manuscripts to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Pubs, which later became Edgell Communications. An editor pulled me out of the towering slush pile, and finally I was a writer.
I received my first writer’s check on a Friday. While driving down the Interstate in Cleveland on my way to the bank on a dark and dreary day, two brilliant shafts of sunlight punctured the clouds and illuminated the freeway, a coincidence that made the day even more memorable. In the 1990s I launched a full-time career as a freelancer. In 1994, my work began to appear regularly in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette — home at last.
And that takes us back to Lynn Wheeling.
I hadn’t seen her in years, but thought of her often. I was standing in line at the Post Office when I felt the tap on the shoulder.
“Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,” she said, before she even said hello. “I read all your stories, Patrick.”
“I had a good teacher,” I replied. We hugged and shot the breeze, and she was so very, very proud of her pupil, the one who couldn’t hit a curveball but could put a subject and verb in the same sentence and get published in magazines and newspapers.
Thank you, Teacher. Thank you, Miss Wheeling. Thank you, Lynn, for helping me live my dream.
Facts About Lynn
- Author and illustrator of 13 children’s books.
- More than 900,000 copies sold in the United States and Canada.
- Publishers included Little Brown, G.P. Putnam Sons, Harper & Row and others.
- Other publishers included Scripps Howard Newspapers, Town & Country magazine, The Pittsburgh Press.
- Lifelong supporter of the arts.
- A teacher who dared to make a difference, a teacher who inspired.
My heartfelt sympathy and prayer to you Patrick… You sure were Blessed to have a teacher who truly influenced you…
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Patrick;
Two reactions:
1) That’s a very nice piece about Lynn Wheeling;
2) It’s a pleasure to learn more about you as a person, not just as a writer whose talent I admire.
Pat
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Brenda and Pat,
Lynn would appreciate your thoughtful acknowledgment. I still have vivid memories of my classroom days with her in my childhood — and remember that, in my early adulthood, it was hard to transition from “Miss Wheeling” to Lynn.
Thanks for the notes.
Patrick
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Thank you for that beautiful tribute to your teacher. Brought tears to my eyes. I too have driven down that interstate in Cleveland with a check in my hand but not with such a lovely memory. Thanks for a welcome dose of truth and beauty on this site that is so overwhelmed with greed and mental illness. mm
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Patrick:
It is said that a teacher teaches and a great teacher inspires. You had a great teacher. What a joy it was to read about her and how she inspired you. Not only your story, but the admiration you held for this beloved great teacher. We are all blessed because of her. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
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Lynn was a teacher of mine in the 70′s, thanks for recognizing her wonderful qualities. She was an inspiration and always encouraged me to be different. She made me feel good about who I was thought me that creativity was the key to happiness.. Lynn Wheeling rocked!
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Marci, Lynn and Steve,
Appreciate you leaving a comment. Lynn was a truly inspirational figure in the lives of many people and just radiated decency.
Many people are thinking about her and missing her today.
Patrick
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Patrick, I’m not the Marci who wrote this comment (I’ve never been in Cleveland, for example) but I really enjoyed your story. I’m sure she’s very, very proud of you, even now.
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Patrick, I just wanted to add my condolences to those of the others who have posted here. You are in my thoughts and prayers at this time of your loss of both a mentor and friend.
I guess it is now for you to continue the work that she started and to inspire the next generation of writers – which will be the greatest tribute you can pay her.
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Patrick,
That was an inspiring story. I was in a cab in NY last night and heard a very similar story — the driver had been inspired by his mother, a teacher, and that is why he was driving the cab. You see, the power of education was strong in his family. After growing up in the NY housing projects, he went on to college and to be a teacher in NY for 30 years, and he drove the cab to earn the extra money to send the last of his 5 kids to college — the younger 4 graduated as well.
Many of us have been similarly inspired to achieve and to believe thanks to our teachers — you have my sympathy for your loss, and thanks for sharing your story.
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Patrick,
Thank you so much for bringing back my memories of Miss Wheeling. In elementary school (Lincoln Elementary in Oil City, PA), she was so supportive in building my confidence and self esteem through creativity. She was INDEED a wonderful and inspiring teacher and a very unique person in that generation. I, along with many of my fellow classmates, looked up to her as not only a teacher but a friend.
Rest in Peace, Miss Wheeling
Jacqueline (Heckathorne) Beach Garcia
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Patrick –
Lynn was my teacher in the early ’80 as well as a good friend of my father (they taught together for many years at Oil City Jr High School). She attended my parents’ 50th anniversary party last July. I, too, am saddened by her death. You’ve written a very fitting tribute and I’m sure Lynn would have appreciated it.
Sabrina
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You were blessed, Patrick, to have such a teacher and friend. They are few and far between.
You’ve written a lovely and heart-felt memorial.
Elmer
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Thanks Patrick, and other former students, for a window into Lynn’s teaching career. Our mothers were cousins but we lived far enough apart that I believe I actually only saw her once, when I was about 4 and she was a very sophisticated (to my eyes!) 20-something. I was aware of what she was doing via our mothers, but didn’t reconnect with her until about 5 years ago when she was already sick. We talked a lot about politics, shared family history, her art, but little about her teaching…she would have been unlikely to tell me she made a difference in students’ lives. Thanks for making that clear.
Trish
P.S. To your list of facts, you may want to add “airline stewardess” back when that was about the most glamorous job a little girl could imagine. It took her all over the world, and undoubtedly added depth and breadth to her wicked cartoons.
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Yes, Lynn was a flight attendant for Braniff, based in TX, and also worked in Cleveland for American Greeting Cards. Also was extremely well traveled. Her aches and pains were certainly troublesome in the past few years.
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