Roll Call Tribute

Tillman Lorenzo "Larry" Wheat, III, DDS 

June 20, 1951 - September 1, 2025 

Tillman Lorenzo Wheat, III also loved as Buck and Larry, was born in El Campo, Texas on June 20, 1951, and passed away in Huntsville, Texas on September 1, 2025.

He is preceded in death by his parents, T.L. Wheat, Jr. and Nancy Wheat.

Buck is survived by his loving wife, Beverly Ruth Wheat; his daughter, Rachel Vandiver and her husband, Paul; son, Joshua Wheat and his wife Mallory; stepdaughter, Ashlee Wilson and her husband Joel; and grandsons, Austin Lepchitz, Barrett Wheat, Connor McCauley and Colby Wilson, and brother Mike Wheat and wife Ada; niece, Paige Wheat and grandniece June and nephew, Zachary Wheat. Buck was blessed with a huge family and extended family.

Buck’s family moved to Houston when he was very young and grew up in the Spring Branch area. He graduated from Spring Branch High School, got his undergrad degree at Texas A&M University, and his DDS at University of Texas Dental School. Always an Aggie at heart, he shared the experience and amazing traditions with twenty of his family members.

Shortly after graduation from UT Dental, Buck opened his own practice where he dedicated his career to providing compassionate, honest dental care to his patients. He was loved by all of his patients and staff and was thought of as a genuinely great guy. The doctor was in when he pulled into his reserved parking space in his little green Miata, smoking his pipe. After decades in practice, Buck hung up his hat from dentistry and started his retirement in 2015.

Buck’s passions were varied. He loved his family and enjoyed a lot of special moments with his children and grandchildren. He loved being on the golf course, saltwater fishing and being in the woods, whether hunting or riding the roads in his Jeep.

Music was the thread woven throughout his life. He started his music career as a child learning to play the piano. Once the Beatles entered the scene, he grabbed a guitar and never looked back. As a member of several bands, he was a vocalist and played both guitar and harmonica. He was crowd favorite! He shared his talent in the music ministry at Jersey Village Baptist Church and most recently as the Music Minister at Bethel Baptist Church.

Buck’s sense of humor was legendary. It always sparked a laugh and seemed to land just at the right moment.

In 2016 Buck met Ruth and their love story began. They loved going on Buck and Ruth adventures, but some involved never leaving home! Buck felt like Ruth needed to learn how to camp so he set up a tent in their backyard so she could get the feel of sleeping outside under the stars. Their biggest adventure was to move to their beloved Wildwood Shores nestled in the Sam Houston National Forest. 

A memorial service for Buck will be held at 10am on Monday, September 15, 2025 at Klein Funeral Home, Tomball, TX.