Charles Frazier Wheatley III

September 16, 1944 - September 10, 2021

Conowingo, MD — Charles F. Wheatley III, age 76, passed away September 10th following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Born September 16, 1944 in Monroe, Michigan to the late Charles F. Wheatley Jr and Ann Murray Gordon Wheatley, he was raised on a farm outside of Chestertown, MD and then later in Betterton, MD.

After graduating from Chestertown High School in 1962 he attended Western Maryland College where he participated in ROTC and was a member of the track team. Following graduation in 1966 he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army and assigned to artillery school in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. He was then assigned as an artillery officer in South Korea until receiving an honorable discharge in 1968. Later, he earned a Masters Degree in banking from the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers University.

After leaving the Army he worked briefly for Trojan Boat in Elkton and as a science teacher at Bohemia Manor High School. In 1972 he was accepted into the management training program at Maryland National Bank in Baltimore, MD. In 1985 he transferred to the fledgling MBNA in Ogletown, DE. Over the next nineteen years he held a variety of positions, eventually rising to Senior Executive Vice President and, notably, serving as the company secretary during MBNA’s IPO in 1991.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kerry M. Wheatley; his son Charles of Conowingo, MD; daughter, Dr. Wendy Saubier and husband Ken Saubier of Stone Lea Farm; and daughter, Margaret and husband Scott Martin of Betterton, MD, as well as his four grandchildren William and Alexis Saubier and Victoria and Elliott Martin.

He and Kerry enjoyed traveling the world and spending winters at their home in the Turks and Caicos Islands. An avid fly fisherman, he traveled worldwide chasing silver. Above all, he enjoyed working on his farm, tending his apple orchard, and spending time with his family. A strong proponent of education, he served on the Board of Directors at Sanford School.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Swan Harbor Farm, 401 Oakington Rd, Havre de Grace, MD on Sunday, October 17th from 11am to 3pm. Family and friends are invited to attend. Donations can be made in his name to the charity of your choice or Sanford School https://www.sanfordschool.org/giving

The mad mower rides into the sunset.

RT Foard

Mary

Debby Ordway McClung

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In memory of Charles Frazier Wheatley III, Mary lit a candle

Uncle Boom was the best. He was funny and kind. I’ll really miss him. My family and I are so sorry for your loss. Love, Mary, Nick, Rita , and Phoebe Fritz

As childhood friends of Kerry's, we would often tease Charles that we "reluctantly" inherited him by marriage. But what we gained was an exceptional, one of a kind friend who was generous, kind, and possessed a wonderful dry sense of humor. He was a "grower" and "nurturer". He grew fruit, grain crops, companies, a beautiful family, knowledge and a full life. He nurtured people, loved the land, birds and all creatures. A lifetime learner from banking to agriculture to life. He is missed! Our loss on earth is heaven's gain as by now, he has most likely planted apple trees, built a hen house and has finished several jig saw puzzles

So very sorry to hear this. My prayers to all of the family.

Mrs. Wheatley and Family I am so sorry to hear about Mr. Wheatley's passing. I worked for Mr. Wheatley at MBNA for over 10 years not as a direct report but reporting to Kevin Canavan in Loan Review. I had the upmost respect and admiration for him. He gave me the opportunity to manage the Loan Review departments in both the U.K and Canada. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.

Thinking about you all with lots of love x

We didn't know Charlie well but what we knew we liked. God speed to a good man.

Charlie, you will be missed by all of your fly fishing friends. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed our many trips together. Like Alaska, Bahamas, Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, Russia, Gaspe' and many many more. Also of course the 3 Super Bowls we enjoyed together with our wives. There will be a big hole on any future trips because without you it will not be nearly as much fun. RIP good friend you were one of a kind!

My memories of Charles, despite the distant past, are vivid and fond. The front yard of his childhood family's home on that more than one-half square block parcel, perched high atop everything around it, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and the mouth of the Sassafras River was, maybe, an unusual spot to play tackle football games, but no one could deny the scenic attraction. Charles, along with his brother, Tad, and neighborhood kids, Bob, Jody, Mike, Martin, myself, and occasionally others were there from mid-September through the winter, weather permitting, playing our version of the Colts against the Giants. Although Charles was from five to eight years older than rest of us, he never used his superior size, speed, and strength to his advantage, always preferring to play for the fun of the game instead of dominating the hour. When his presence was limited to holidays, after he entered college, his absence was felt. One of the more enduring memories of Charles during those Betterton days, was a rescue he made on the ice skating pond near the Evergreen Knoll cottages after one of the kids fell through the broken ice into the water, late one winter day when the ice had already started melting from the warmer temperatures. Although there was a handful of us there, no one except Charles made a move to save the individual who had fallen through. Everyone else was too shocked and maybe too afraid of what we always believed was a bottomless pit of mud and muck below the water that would suck anything not floating into a permanent grave. But Charles did not hesitate, even after the ice broke beneath his heavier weight while en route to the other teen. A fellow former Bettertonian older than I, who remembers Charles from elementary school days, was always impressed by his constant willingness to choose the most unskilled classmates first as members of his team, when given that opportunity, during the softball pregame ceremony of choosing sides, because he knew others would always pick those same individuals last. He was one of the good guys. The blessings of many include simply having known him. My deepest sympathy to all the family members.

Charlie was an incredible man. He clearly adored his wife, family and friends. The one thing I always loved about Charlie was his kindness to everyone. He will be missed by so many.

I am so sorry for the loss of a fine man. Being the mail lady for 29 years, I happened upon Charles many times. Whether he was passing me in a vehicle, or meeting me at the door of his home, he was always smiling, waving, always had something pleasant to say, always seeing if I needed something. He spoke with great pride and joy of his family, he had great excitement over his grandchildren. I always left his presence feeling more appreciated. He will be remembered well. May God bless you Kerry, as well as all the family.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.