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APGA Remembers Charles Wheatley

By Audrey Casey posted 02-22-2018 12:07 PM

  
Charlie Wheatley, APGA’s first General Manager and General Counsel, passed away on February 13 at Whitewood Assisted Living Facility in Grasonville, Md. He was 90 years old. The APGA Board hired Charlie in 1961 as General Manager and General Counsel. Charlie served as General Manager from 1961 to 1975 and General Counsel until 1980.
Charlie became interested in the importance of public natural gas systems for America while he was a second-year student at Harvard Law School. Upon graduation in 1951, he joined a private law firm, and in 1960, opened his own law firm. In 1961, Frank King (Holyoke, Mass.) contacted Charlie in connection with organizing APGA. At that first meeting, Charlie was selected as General Counsel.

Charlie organized APGA’s articles of incorporation and became one of the initial incorporating members of the association. In 1980, Charlie left APGA to establish the National Association of Gas Consumers (NAGC). He was General Counsel of that organization until he retired. Charlie last attended an APGA event in July 2010 at APGA’s Annual Conference in San Diego, Calif. Charlie is seen in the picture below receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at that conference.

Charlie is survived by his children, Charles F. “Chip” Wheatley, III of Denver, Colo., and Mark J. Wheatley and his wife, Brenda of Grasonville, Md.; grandson, Charles F. “CJ” Wheatley, IV; and several nieces and nephews. At Charlie’s request, no service will be held, and his family requests that, in lieu of flowers, send memorial contributions to The Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org).

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