CROQUET NEWS:  Tim Wheeler

29 August 2009
Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, USA
by Leo Nikora
photo by Martha Vanderlin

Tim Wheeler at Smith Madrone Winery in Napa Valley, CA, USA, after playing in his favorite croquet tournament, the Meadowood Croquet Classic at Meadowood Resort in St. Helena, CA, USA.

Tim Wheeler died peacefully yesterday (28 August 2009) at his home in Wailuku, Maui, HI, USA. He will be greatly missed by the Maui Croquet Club, and by many croquet players around the world.

	Tim Wheeler's picture for the Maui Croquet Club Directory. Click to enlarge.

Tim helped start the Maui Croquet Club in 1997, and was always its most enthusiastic member. He and his wife, Martha Vanderlin, were sitting side by side in beach chairs beside the Beach Reserve, Kihei, HI, USA, watching a match during the first Maui Croquet Club Championship. He looked over, and saw her snoozing in the warm tropical sun. "Martha!" he explaimed, "How can you sleep. This is the most exciting game I've ever seen in my whole life."

Tim was a great ambassidor for croquet. He was the first Hawaiian croquet player to visit another club when he visited the San Francisco Croquet Club at Stern Grove, San Francisco, CA, USA. He and Martha had the Belgians as their house guests when the Brussels Croquet Club visited the Maui Croquet Club. He brought many new members to the Maui Croquet Club.

Tim played in many croquet tournaments, but the Meadowood Croquet Classic at Meadowood Resort, St. Helena, CA, USA, was always his favorite.

Tim was a student of the game of croquet. He was fond of saying, "Croquet is like an onion. Everytime I peel off one layer, I find another layer undernieth."

Tim played croquet for one reason — for fun. He always made sure that everyone at the Maui Croquet Club was having a good time.

Tim showed the Maui Croquet Club how to play croquet with Aloha. We'll follow his example.

1999
Beach Reserve, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Claire Schopen, Tim Wheeler, and Leo Nikora

11-12 November 2000
Maui Croquet Club Championship
Beach Reserve, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Tim Wheeler

16-18 March 2001
Tim Wheeler Visits San Francisco Croquet Club
Stern Grove, San Francisco, California, USA
Edie Singer, Tim Wheeler, Elaine Fong, and Vivienne Brigham (and his Maui Croquet Club chair)

2001
Maui vs Lanai
The Lodge at Koele, Lanai City, Lanai, Hawaii, USA
Tim Wheeler

23-27 July 2002
Meadowood Croquet Classic
Meadowood Resort, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California, USA
Tim Wheeler

21 February 2003
Kapalua Club Golf Croquet Tournament
Village Course, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Don Schneider, Tim Wheeler, Leo Nikora, and Joe Schopen

7-11 December 2005
United States Open
Mission Hills Country Club, Rancho Mirage, California, USA
Tim Wheeler