LOUISBURG - Louis Alfred Wheless, Jr. passed away peacefully at his home in Louisburg, North Carolina on February 3, 2020 at the age of 81.

Louis is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ruth Harris Wheless; his daughter, Copie Cain, and husband Jim of Raleigh; his son, Al Wheless, and wife Tracye of Louisburg. Also, the lights of his life, his three grandchildren, Mary Copeland Cain of Park City, Utah, Quentin Cain of Raleigh, and Reed Wheless of Louisburg. His sisters, Kee Sloan, and the late George Sloan, of New Bern, and Mary Charles Boyette, and husband Robert, of Raleigh. His nieces, Katherine Griffith, and Mark of Raleigh, Page Curtin, and Chris of Menlo Park, CA. His grandnephew and grandnieces: Charlie, Elizabeth, Kee, Mary Gaughan and Helen.

Little Louis was born on March 11, 1938 to Louis Alfred and Alma Kee Wheless. He attended the University of North Carolina where he played on the golf team. After a stint in the Army National Guard, he returned to Louisburg to work in the family business. Louis was a proud lifelong resident of Louisburg where he served on the Town Council, the Green Hill Country Club Board of Directors and the St. Paul's Episcopal Church Vestry. He was also a founding member of the Franklin County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited.

Second only to his family was Louis' love of golf. He won countless tournaments throughout the state and could always be found at Green Hill hitting practice balls or playing a round of golf. Spending time with friends either on the golf course, in a duck blind or at his regular morning "coffee break" was also very special to Louis. However, there was nothing he enjoyed more than time with his family and especially his three grandchildren.

Louis spent his career in the financial services industry. In 1968, he began as an insurance salesman with New York Life. At the beginning of the financial planning movement, EF Hutton hired him, in 1979, to teach their stock brokers how to sell life insurance. Ten years later, he, himself, transitioned to the financial planning world when he started his own planning practice with Resource Management Associates and Raymond James Financial Services. He worked in that business alongside his wife, Ruth, and son, Al, until his retirement in 2015.

A casual gathering to celebrate his life and visit with family and friends is scheduled for Friday, February 7, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Green Hill Country Club in Louisburg. The memorial service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (301 N. Church Street) in Louisburg on Saturday, February 8, at 11:00 am. A private burial will be held at Oakwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, PO Box 247, Louisburg, NC 27549 or Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle Raleigh, NC 27607.

Arrangements are by Strickland Funeral Home & Crematory, Louisburg, www.stricklandfuneralhome.net.

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