Obituaries

Gerald Bruce Wheeler

Photo of Gerald Bruce Wheeler
Gerald Bruce Wheeler, best known to viewers of local children's television as "Lorenzo The Tramp", has died in Los Angeles from complications arising from Alzheimer's Disease. He was 87. Gerald is survived by his two sons, Thomas Wheeler and William Wheeler; his grandchildren, Brooke, Noah, Luca and Amelia Wheeler; and his brother, Lynn Wheeler. Gerald was born in Salado, Ark. in 1926, the eldest of three brothers. His childhood was marred by the shooting death of his father, deputy sheriff William Everett Wheeler, when young Jerry was only nine years old. The shooting set off a statewide man-hunt which ended with the capture of Everett's killer, thief Robert Rose. Rose was put to death by electric chair in 1935. In 1943, Wheeler went north to Alaska to work on the Alcan Highway. Shortly thereafter, he volunteered for service with the Marine Corps in the Pacific theater. Gerald served with the V Amphibious Corps landing force during the battle of Iwo Jima. He went on to further serve in the Korean War as a corporal in the U.S. Air Force. After a stint at the University of Oklahoma, Wheeler worked as a cameraman at KARK-TV in Little Rock. Affable and creative, Gerald was soon suggesting characters and ideas for local programs. It was here he developed the character that would define his career in children's television: "Lorenzo the Tramp". A silent but lovable ne'er do well in the mold of Chaplin's tramp, Wheeler's Lorenzo charmed children and parents alike, and was given his own show on K-ARK in 1955. In the years that followed, Wheeler wrote and performed "The Lorenzo Show" to expanding audiences in multiple cities. His show, along with that of contemporary Ernie Kovacs, pioneered the use of inventive video sight gags and visual effects that took advantage of the new medium to create a free-wheeling and original children's program. One of the first children's TV performers to "break the fourth wall", Wheeler opened each show with the image of him applying the make-up that created his Lorenzo character. He did this, he said, in order to "take the mystique out" of the illusion for his young viewers. Wheeler played multiple characters in each show: himself, Lorenzo, country-boy Clarence Lackwit, rancher Nevada Ned and pirate Raoul the Rogue. Working with minimal scripts and very little rehearsal time, Wheeler's live broadcasts retained an improvised flair that led the show to ratings success in each of the markets it visited. "Lorenzo" ran in Little Rock from '55-‘59, on KOTV Tulsa from ‘59-‘60, St. Louis's KTVI in 1961, on WJZ-TV in Baltimore from '62-‘66 and finally on KYW-TV, Philadelphia from 1962 to 1970. In later years, Gerald shared a seven-year marriage with Judith Anne Barton, which produced his two sons, William and Thomas. Along with making occasional special appearances as Lorenzo, Gerald spent his time writing plays and novels. "The Trail of the Lonesome Kid" premiered in Exton, Pa.; while his novels "If All the World Were Paper" and "2084" drew attention from publishers. Wheeler, however, loved to noodle with his works and the novels were never completed to his satisfaction. Referencing his perfectionistic approach to writing, Wheeler suggested to his sons the following as his epitaph: "…And you said I'd never finish anything." In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association. Viewers of Gerald's show that wish to share their remembrances are encouraged to email his family members at "bill.e.wheeler@gmail.com". The remembrances will be shared on his YouTube page.

Published October 6, 2013

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