Judith Ann ‘Judy’ Wheatley

July 4, 2022

SAN DIEGO, CA — With great sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Judith (Judy) Ann Wheatley on July 4, 2022, at the age of 72. She was vacationing in Turks and Caicos with her family when the unexpected happened. After traveling around the globe, it is so like her to select the most beautiful place on earth to leave this world.

Judy was a former educator in Orange County, where she taught elementary school, high school, and an extension course for the University of California, Irvine. In addition to her work with schools, she developed an outdoor education curriculum and served as a member of the state training team for drug abuse prevention education.

The emerging computer field piqued her interest and she left teaching to begin a 25-year career in the computer software/ technical support field, working for Comptext, Mai/basic Four, Linkabit, and Qualcomm, retiring in 1999 as director of technology and training in Qualcomm’s mobile satellite communication division.

While at Qualcomm, she conducted training courses for personnel at all levels, from truck drivers to satellite system operators in many different countries. She established and managed a second level technical research/support group, analyzing data to assist in locating stolen trucks, and even provided key information to convict a murderer.

Horses were a personal passion for Judy, and she owned several during her life. After riding for many years, she became a highly rated amateur dressage rider.

Judy was passionate about nature and believed in the importance that conservation had throughout the world. She was an active trustee of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the North

Coast Repertory Theatre. She has been on the boards of the California Institute of Technology Associates, the Advisory Board of the University of California Davis Wildlife Health Center, and Free Flight, an education/ conservation center for exotic birds.

For many years, Judy and husband Chuck have supported the Reuben Fleet Science Center in its mission to bring together the entire community to embrace the power of science to create a better future, and the Wildlife Conservation Network, dedicated to saving numerous endangered species throughout the world.

Judy and Chuck were world travelers, with her passion taking them to Africa ten times. While in Africa, they visited and worked with numerous conservation projects supporting African wildlife and schools. During each visit they made efforts to inspire fellow travelers to get involved. Judy gave abundantly of her time, talent as well as treasure, as she realized the importance and impact of active volunteerism in addition to financial support.

The Wheatley’s created a conservation easement on their property outside of San Diego. The land will always be protected from development to preserve the property for the benefit of future generations.

It is on these 410 acres where Judy worked with the Nature Conservancy and other agencies to reintroduce two endangered species back to their natural habitat: western pond turtles and red-legged frogs. The land is a unique location in Southern California found suitable for these animals, and Judy was gratified to know her pond was a critical part of saving these species from extinction.

Family and friends were very important to Judy. She is survived by husband Dr. Charles Wheatley III of 47 years, mother Evelyn Dirksen, sisters Victoria Daniels and Kathy Mcdougall, daughters Susan Ingraham and Molly Hooks, their husbands, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren,

A private Celebration of Life will be scheduled.

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