Tragic Shifnal family grateful for support after sudden death of father
Family members today said they had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from their home town following the death of a much-loved husband and father from Shifnal.
Stephen Wheatley died suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition. He was just 34.
Since then, his home town has rallied around his young family to raise money and support in his memory.
His widow Becky Wheatley today said a huge thank you to the people who have now raised more than £3,500 for him and organised a number of fundraising events in the weeks following his death, including a marathon football match today.
Paying tribute to her husband, she said: "He was a family man, he adored us.
"He would do anything for anyone, he would always stop in the street to talk to people who needed help.
"He was amazing at his job, some of the emails I have had from his colleagues have been amazing.
"One of the clients he has been doing work for say they are going to put a plaque on the bridge in Darlaston that he was working on in his memory.
"He was am amazing, kind hearted, lovely person."
Mr Wheatley was on his way back to the family home on Admirals Way from his work as a civil engineer at Dawnuss Construction on June 28 when he died.
Mrs Wheatley, 34, who works as a payroll assistant at Thomas Telford School, said: "He was due home at 6.30pm and he never arrived.
"We had a rule that he would always text me when he was leaving so I was expecting him home within an hour.
"At 11.20pm the police came and informed us."
Though Mrs Wheatley said some of the details surrounding his death are still uncertain, Mr Wheatley is understood to have died from a heart condition that he was never aware of.
Workers from his office and neighbouring buildings performed CPR on him for more than 25 minutes while they waited for paramedics but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Since his passing, Mrs Wheatley and the couple's three children, Idsall School pupil Ben, 13, Shifnal Primary School pupil Emily, 10, and three-year-old Max have been given huge support by the community, who have put up tributes and organised fundraisers in her husband's memory.
A keen darts player, the chalkboard around the dart board at the Wheatsheaf Pub in Shifnal was covered in tributes in the days after he died.
Mrs Wheatley said: "We had around the region of 300 people attend the funeral on July 12, a testament to the man he was and how much so many people thought of him.
"There have been so many things, the Flower Pot in Shifnal had been friends with him for years so provided the flowers at cost. Jaspers have been absolutely amazing and helped me so much with organising the wake.
"I can't walk down the street without people knowing who I am. It has definitely given all of us, me and the kids, some strength, knowing that people are supporting us and thinking about us, it is amazing.
"I keep looking on Facebook and sometimes it makes me cry and sometimes it just makes me smile.
"There have been lots of things in the past couple of weeks, sports days, Max's induction because he is starting school, that he has missed that he wouldn't have missed for the world."
Today, a huge fundraiser and football tournament was being held in Shifnal to boost fundraising in his memory even more.
Mrs Wheatley said: "After he died a few of his friends asked if I would mind if a few of the lads did a five-a-side tournament and I thought it was a nice idea.
"From there it has just progressed, the next thing I know it is huge."
"It has given me something to look forward to which is an achievement in itself."
The match was today being held on the all-weather pitch at Idsall School , with a raffle and fun day being held at Shifnal War Memorial.
The One-Stop Shop on Shifnal's Cheapside has also organised a family fun day that will take place on August 13, which will run from 10am to 2pm.
And there is talk of Mr Wheatley's friends taking on the three peaks challenge and organising a darts tournament later this summer.
Mrs Wheatley says she has not yet decided which charities will benefit from the fundraising, and will decide in the coming weeks.
She added: "We'd just like to thank everyone, we are so proud of how thoughtful people have been, it has been a massive comfort.
"People have been amazing, I have never known anything so huge, it has been brilliant."
To donate in Stephens memory visit crowdfunding.justgiving.com/steve-wheatley?utm_id=65
