wˈiːtkɹɔft wʌz bˈɔːɹn ˌɔn dʒuːlˈaɪ twˈɛnti fˈoːɹ, nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti fˈaɪv, ɪn fɪlɐdˈɛlfiə, pˌɛnsɪlvˈeɪniə, ænd sˈɜːvd ɪnðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts nˈeɪvi ɪn wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː.
Wheatcroft was born  on July 24, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Navy in World War II.