David Kenneth Wheless, 79, of 117 Irvines Circle, widower of Janie Irvine Wheless, died Thursday, September 1, 2011 at Self Regional Medical Center. Born in Wilkes County, GA, he was a son of the late Reuben David Wheless and Berda Mae Hilley Wheless. Ken was a U.S. Marine veteran having served during the Korean Conflict and was a member of the Lakelands Marine Corp League. He retired from Greenwood Mills-Sloan Plant. After retirement he worked at Greenwood County Recycling Center and was a member of the Mathews Masonic Lodge 358. Surviving are a son, Kenneth Barry Wheless; two daughters, Cindy W. Gentry and Debbie (Neal) Chrisley, all of Greenwood; two brothers, Jack (Nita) Wheless of Greenwood and Sam (Lois) Wheless of Bradley; eight grandchildren, Stacy (Shane) Hamby, Tara (Brent) Bell, Jason (Beth) Wheless, Eric (Elizabeth) Gentry, Joshua Holley, Joseph Holley, Sarah Darragh and Abbey Darragh; and seven great grandchildren, Levi Owens, Wyatt Owens, Cameron Hamby, Liam Wheless, Drew Hinton, Lucy Wheless and Emma Pearl Gentry. Pallbearers will be the grandsons and great grandsons. Honorary escorts will be Mike Hilliard, Mike Kennemore, Harold Kennemore, Bennie Stevens, Bobby Stoudemire, Dewey Rains, James Ray Dodgen, Tom Anderson and the members of the Lakelands Marine Corp League. The family is at the home. Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association ( www.lungusa.org ), Southeast Region Mail Processing Center, 6852 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL 32216-6241.