Tommie Lee Wheeler passed from this life on Saturday, October 14,th ,at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Louisiana after a battle with pneumonia. Graveside Services will be held on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. at Wheeler Family Cemetery in Haile, LA. Rev. Donald Reeves will be officiating.Tommie was born in Haile, Louisiana on December 4, 1935 to Charlie and Ora Mae Wheeler. He grew up with a love of the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He excelled at basketball and baseball and was scouted by the New York Yankees baseball club. After graduation from Linville High School he joined the United States Marines. He began his deployment in Honolulu on August 21, 1959, the day that Hawaii became a state. While serving in the Marines he also attended the University of Hawaii where he met his wife, Gwen. After his service was completed he remained in Hawaii and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Physics. He and Gwen then moved to the Houston, Texas area where he began his career with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at Johnson Space Center. He worked on the Apollo space program and later on the space shuttle. A highlight of his career was working in the NASA control room on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. His successful career in the aerospace industry spanned over three decades. After his retirement he and Gwen moved back to Haile, Louisiana where he resumed his lifelong love of hunting and fishing. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gwen Wheeler and his sister, Ann Johnson. He is survived by his son, Kenji Wheeler; his brothers: C.W. Wheeler and his wife, Bonita, Donald Wheeler, Joe Wheeler and his wife Lynn, Bruce Wheeler, John Wheeler and his wife, Sue; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.He was a member of Liberty Baptist Church. Online condolence messages may be sent to the family www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.comKilpatrick Funeral HomeFarmerville, LA.