Royce Wheeler has retired. After 20 years working for Jaime Niembro at Ajijic Realty, the 80-years-young former physics teacher had decided to take a break.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Wheeler has always been a science geek: “I was the only girl in my high school mechanical drawing and aeronautics classes,” she says. During the Korean War she was a radio mechanic at a U.S. Air Force SAC base in Shreveport, Louisiana. She then attended Fullerton Junior College four years, gra
duated from the University of California in 1960, attended post-graduate classes in California, as well as Redlands University, Hampton Institute in Virginia, Lamar University in Texas and Southwestern University in Oklahoma.
Wheeler first came to Mexico to take a two-month class at the University of the Americas in Mexico City in 1965. After the classes finished she stopped in Guadalajara and finally went home 15 months later with an adopted daughter in tow and a permanent home in the city.
During 19 years of teaching middle school physics classes in southern California, Wheeler spent every vacation back in Guadalajara — about four months of the year in total. Her five children all spent their fifth-grade school year living with her sister, Libby, who had moved to Guadalajara, so they could learn Spanish, which she said they were able to put to good use in California schools. (Wheeler’s children are aged 48, 56, 57, 58 and 60; her 18 grandhildren range from 20 to 40, and her 33 – yes! – great grandchildren are between 2 to 20).
Wheeler finally settled permanently in Guadalajara in 1985. After a year of taking it easy, she was putting up a poster for an American Society (Amsoc) event at the American School when she found out the science teacher was leaving his post just as the school year was beginning. The school’s director found out she had taught science and hired her on the spot.
After a year she joined the then Colony Reporter newspaper, preparing advertisements and helping City Living columnist Marcy Matthews with briefs on the many American Legion and other social parties held at that time. She worked off and on at the Reporter until 1994 and then began working at Ajijic Real Estate, taking the bus every day from Guadalajara. She gave up her car years ago and finds it easy and less expensive to get around the city by bus or taxi.
Her first years in Guadalajara she lived near San Juan de Dios market and later in the Providencia, Chapalita and Jardines del Bosque neighborhoods. For the last seven years she has resided in Colonia Ladron de Guevara.
Wheeler says she has no plans to return to the United States and reckons she will remain here for the rest of her days.