Wheeler David "W. D." Power departed this life on June 25, 2015 in Williamsburg, VA. He was 75.

Born April of 1940 in Rusk, TX, W. D. was raised in and around the Fort Worth area of Texas. His father was a farmer and school custodian, whom he inherited his strong work ethic from. He also learned early on that he enjoyed running long distances to school and could outrun most of his classmates, a skill that would serve him well years later during UDT-R training, at Little Creek, VA and throughout his career in Naval Special Warfare.

W. D. joined the United States Navy after High School, and enjoyed a 31 year career in the Special Warfare Community as an Underwater Demolition Team "Frogman" and Navy SEAL – at UDT 21 and 22 and SEAL Team 4, of which is a Plank Owner, with overseas tours in Subic Bay, Philippines and Chinhae, Korea.

Additionally, he was one of the founding members of the East Coast UDT\SEAL parachute demonstration team, the Chuting Stars in the early 1970s. He also served as the Chuting Stars Team Leader when the team was decommissioned in the early 1980s. His love of skydiving was what introduced him to Teams, after seeing a UDT Platoon deployed abroad his ship the USS Rushmore, where young BM2 Power observed the platoon jumping and realized his destiny.

W. D. loved "The Teams", considered his teammates his family. The values he learned in his childhood were the same he passed on to his men – loyalty, hard work, honor, detail, and resilience. His friendships among his teammates were lifelong, and he cherished them.

W. D. retired from the Navy in 1988 from the Coastal Systems Station Dive Locker, to settle in Panama City, FL. It is here that he met the love of his life, Juanita. They were both attending Gulf Coast Community College, prior to his retirement, where they met during a computer course. W. D., always early for any event had sat at a desk with one chair remaining, when Juanita arrived.

W. D. ever the charmer, tried to engage this beautiful, new redheaded classmate in conversation, as they were the two most mature in a classroom full of "young ins". Juanita didn't have time for this retiring Navy SEAL. She was taking the class to enhance her career to support her four children. W. D., needing all the help he could get with technology, eventually convinced her to help him study.

They were married later that year and had a wonderful twenty-two life together, before
W. D. lost his beloved Juanita to cancer. They formed a blended family with six children and eventually ten grandchildren, many of who continue his tradition of service to our nation.

Master Chief W. D. Power was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Juanita Day Power. He is survived by a loving family: brother, Jimmy and sisters; Mary, Debbie, Lottie, and Martha; son, LT (ret) USN, Dave Power, and daughter in law, Marie, grandchildren, Lindsy Taylor and Victoria Elizabeth, who live in Virginia Beach, VA.; daughter, Michelle with grandson, Brendan Robert David, who live in Virginia Beach, VA.; daughter, Terri Lee, son-in-law, Lt Col (sel) USAF, Darryl Lee, grandchildren, Jason Mohr and Anna Harmony, stationed at Minot AFB, ND.; daughter, Melissa Leon, son-in-law, David Leon, and grandson, William Zachary Novak, who live in Valdosta, GA.; son, Collin Blagg, daughter-in-law, Cindy, grandchildren Aurora Rose and Stephen Blagg, who live in Panama City, FL.; daughter, Heather Davis, son-in-law, 1LT, USA, Chris Davis, grandchildren, William and Rebekah, stationed at Fort Hood, TX.

A graveside service will be held at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 3733 N. Hwy 231, Panama City, FL, at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, June 30th.

Memorial services will be held July 15 2015 at JEB Little Creek in Virginia. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in W. D.'s name to the UDT/SEAL Association at www.udtseal.org or the Wounded Warriors Project. Prayers are gratefully appreciated.