Darlene passed away peacefully on Feb. 27, 2025, at the age of 86. She was born on Oct. 20, 1938, in Elma, Washington, to Louis and Melissa Macomber and was raised in Oakville, Washington. After she graduated from high school, she married Tom Wheeler on August 31, 1957.
They settled in Rochester, Washington, where they raised their children and were happily married for 62 years before Tom passed in 2019. She was especially proud of their home and the beautiful garden and flowers they grew together and shared with family and friends.
Darlene took a job with the State of Washington in 1969 as a keypunch operator. After working for 25 years, she finished her career in computer support and retired from the Department of Information Services in July of 1994. While there, she made many lifelong friends, and after she retired at the age of 55, she got to enjoy over 31 years of retirement life.
Darlene loved spending time with the people who meant the most to her. She enjoyed growing beautiful flowers, quilting with her friends, traveling, cooking, and spoiling her grandkids, who still talk about her delicious blueberry pancakes. She delighted in shopping, going out for lunch, and checking out nurseries for her favorite plants. She will probably always be known for saying, “Let’s just go poke around and see what we can find.” She was always happy when spring arrived so she could start planting and because that’s when the frogs arrived in the pond behind her home — she loved their loud croaking. She was also extremely generous with her time. She would help wherever needed at a moment’s notice — especially if it involved her kids or grandkids, helping a friend, or planning a family or high school class reunion. Her sense of humor, positive take on life, and love for everyone she cared about will be deeply missed.
She leaves behind her children: son Rod Wheeler and daughters Lynda (Scott) Holloway and Anne (Mike) Petersen; grandchildren Rodney, Dana, Bryce, Jared, Colby, Brayden, Jessica, and Garrett; and seven great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings, Everett (Barbara) Macomber, Juanita Kelgrey, and Katherine Turner.
A Celebration of Life service, with a catered luncheon, will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, at Borst Park (Building #2) in Centralia, Washington.
