Obituary of Robert F. Wieler

Robert Ferdinand (Bob) Wieler, 96, passed away Saturday, January 2, 2021 in Pineville, NC. He was born March 11, 1924 in Brooklyn, NY, the son of Walter Howard Wieler and Anna Newman Wieler and grew up in Queens. He attended Dartmouth College, leaving to serve as a Navy radio operator during World War II in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. His ship participated in the Battle of Okinawa where he was part of the landing team that handled communications on shore. After the war, Bob attended Stetson University, graduating in 1949. He worked in Gimbel's retail training program, then earned a Master's of Personnel Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Upon earning his Master's, Bob began a long career with Royal Insurance Company, retiring as Vice President of Personnel in 1988. In 1986, he achieved one of the most significant accomplishments of his career, leading the successful move of Royal's US headquarters from its original home in New York City to Charlotte, NC. Throughout his career, he continued to serve his country in the Air Force Reserve, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Bob met his beloved wife Sally Mullen in 1959 while vacationing in the Poconos and they were married in 1960. They settled on Long Island, where they raised their family, and were inseparable until her death in 2018. He enjoyed gardening, golf and tennis, continuing to play singles tennis into his eighties. Bob was an avid sports fan, cheering loudly for his New York Yankees and Jets. While he maintained these allegiances, he enthusiastically supported the start of professional sports in his adopted home of Charlotte, as one of the original season ticketholders for the Charlotte Hornets. In addition to his parents, Bob was predeceased by his brothers, Walter, Thomas, and Richard Wieler. He is survived by his loving family, including children Elizabeth Boles (Greg) of Skytop, PA; Robert Wieler, Jr. (Georgia) of Alexandria, VA; John Wieler (Laurie) of Waxhaw, NC and Jennifer Sykes (Quintin) of Columbia, SC; and grandchildren Robert III (Erin), George, Hannah, Grace, and Jack Wieler, Carley Sheek, Marshall and Patrick Boles, and Sarah, Anna, Molly, Caroline, and Quincy Sykes. In 2020 Bob was blessed with a great-grandchild, Noah Wieler. He is also survived by his dear sister-in-law, Helen Lesko Wieler, and many cherished nieces and nephews. Following a private funeral mass, interment is at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside, NY. Memorial donations may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (themmrf.org) or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org).