Blind Telford veteran's dying wish fulfilled as funeral raises funds to train and keep guide dog

Frederick Wheeler turned down the offer for his own guide dog in 2002 due to onset dementia, but said it was his aim to provide the vital aid for someone else in need.

The former RAF serviceman from Brookside, Telford, died in August last year just short of his 90th birthday and raised more than £2,500 from his funeral at St Michael’s Church in Madeley.

The funds have meant that Fred the five-month-old golden retriever can be trained up to support someone else in need.

Frederick’s wife, Georgina Wheeler, aged 74, said it was no surprise donations poured in. “He was just so popular. He was a quiet man by nature but my phone never stops ringing. I don’t have the TV on in the evening as there’s just no need,” she said.

“Whether it be friends, family, members of the RAF, people are constantly getting in contact about him – it’s really lovely.”

Named after his sponsor, Fred the guide dog is currently being trained in Reading.

“I receive regular updates on Fred and I know he’s now behaving himself and he’s stopped going to the toilet inside, so that’s a relief for the people training him,” added Georgina.

Born September 19, 1928, Frederick served in the RAF for two years after the Second World War from 1946 and is responsible for aiding the vast recovery that followed the war.

Georgina is still asked to march in national parades in her husband’s honour.

She said: “I plan to attend the national parades anyway, but even in September last year I was asked to march on his behalf in the RAF national service parade.

“I had all of his service medals and was given VIP treatment at the National Arboretum. I was in a group with other people who’s family members had served and I was treated really well.”Frederick lost his eyesight in 1997 following two botched cataract operations. A keen fisherman, Georgina said the loss of his sight came as a stark reminder of what most take for granted.

She said: “We never understood why he lost his eyesight and even the specialists didn’t know what went wrong.

“I think it brought on the dementia earlier as he couldn’t do the things he liked doing – he was a keen fisherman and loved walking.

“We’d often walk from Brookside to Ironbridge but he became too nervous to do so.”

But following his death, organisations, friends and family from across the country reached out to pay tribute.

“St Michaels Church is a big church and at his funeral it was absolutely packed out the door,” added Georgina.

“The Hadley & District Orpheus Choir asked me to perform there and we had a guide dog guard of honour as well as one from two separate branches of the RAF.”

Having met through fishing, Georgina and Frederick had one son between them, Mark, along with three grandsons and seven great-grandchildren.

Georgina summed up her late husband with one of his favourite tales.

She said: “Frederick would often tell people how we met.

“He’d say ‘Well I went out fishing and thought I’d caught a great big sole, but it turns out I’d just caught my soulmate instead’.”