On July 1, 1965, two months before his 18th birthday, Joseph Jay ‘Jay’ Wheeler took an oath on the Plain at West Point to protect and defend the Constitution. Such commitment, coupled with his unrivaled passion, exuberance and curiosity, portended Jay’s future success as an Army officer, an attorney, husband and father.
Jay loved sports, both outdoor and indoor, and his exceptional athletic talent made him a “triple-threat” athlete—football, basketball and baseball—for Barrett High School in Minnesota. Jay also possessed an irreverent wit and a love of speed, which he displayed at West Point when uprooting trees on the West Point Ski Slope or driving the most powerful L-88 Corvette GM sold. Jay’s adventures tested the limits of USCC Regulations and led to him being a proud member of the century club (100+ hours of marching “punishment tours”). Away from post, Jay’s companymates recall how his fearlessness got them into a couple of scrapes one weekend in D.C., and others recall a four-day weekend during which they crossed three states visiting their families and skiing in New England. One memorable extra-regulation endeavor involved partnering with his cow-year roommate to wholesale used textbooks to visiting book dealers, perhaps foreshadowing Jay’s initiative in his later founding of Chapin Wheeler, LLP. Academically gifted, he never permitted studying to interfere with his late-night marathon pinochle games in the barracks.
Upon graduation, Jay was commissioned into the Field Artillery and served as an artillery battery commander and staff officer in Germany, where he was known to don full “Easy Rider” leathers and motor down the Autobahn on his “hawg.” Jay then volunteered for Vietnam and served there as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Army. His last assignment was as senior aide for the four-star commanding general of the Army Materiel Command. His success in the Army brought him to a career crossroad in 1975: remain in the Army or pursue a law degree or MBA. Our honorary classmate Bob Berry advised him to take the entrance exams for the two professional schools to see if that would narrow his choices. It did not. Jay maxed both.
Jay settled on law school at the University of Virginia, where he earned a position on its law review and editorial board. Following law school he held a clerkship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Jay then moved to Los Angeles to join Latham & Watkins, one of our Nation’s premier law firms. Then, as senior partner, he relocated to the firm’s San Diego office, becoming its principal trial attorney. Jay’s personal life also blossomed during this time as he simultaneously courted and, in 1981, married Ann, whom he had met in law school. Together Jay and Ann created a wonderful family in San Diego, and their lives were enriched by their three children: Amanda, Chris and Savannah.
Jay excelled at his chosen contact sport in the law—being a trial lawyer. Serving a roster of distinguished Fortune 500 clients, he tried a business disputes to verdict in the areas of securities, antitrust, intellectual property, real estate, and contract and employment law. Jay was formidable, using his keen intellect, boundless energy, imposing physical presence and easy manner before a jury to his clients’ advantage. Colleagues recall that twinkle in Jay’s eyes as he opened his argument to the jury with his favorite line: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a simple case.” And his most important quality was his absolute fearlessness in taking his case before a jury if the opposition wouldn’t settle on terms favorable to his client.
In 2005, Jay co-founded his own litigation firm, Chapin Wheeler. At both Latham and Chapin Wheeler, Jay embodied the principle learned at West Point that “loyalty is owed down as well as up.” He regularly put the interests of others ahead of his own and made sure associates had personal time, even when it meant that Jay was left doing legal research, writing briefs and inspecting documents. Although serious about his craft, Jay never took himself seriously. He had a great sense of humor, played many practical jokes and loved to laugh.
Upon his unexpected passing on January 17, 2008, the San Diego County Bar Association memorialized him by instituting the Jay Wheeler Civility Seminar as part of its Campaign on Civility, Integrity and Professionalism because Jay “embodied the spirit of the Campaign throughout his career.” Jay is also remembered by the County Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Lawyer Memorial Fund for attorneys exhibiting “superior legal skills” and “high ethical standards” throughout their careers. It is also a tribute to Jay’s value as a friend that 21 of his West Point classmates attended his memorial service nearly four decades after their graduation.
But the most enduring gift Jay left is expressed by his family’s words for the Class of ’69 Legacy Book:
“Jay gave much to many, but Jay’s ultimate value was as a loving husband and father to his three children, Amanda, Chris and Savannah. By his example, Jay set a standard for his children to strive for excellence while showing them constant love and support in all they did. His love still supports and carries us forward today. He taught us to deal with hard times with optimism and to always appreciate and celebrate the good times. We are forever grateful for him and for the many qualities of his character that were forged at West Point.”
‘Wheels,’ you will continue to be missed by many.