Douglas Stefan Wright

Douglas Stefan Wright 1952 ~ 2009 Douglas Stefan Wright, teacher, poet, musician, and artist, passed away at home in Salt Lake City surrounded by friends on November 29, 2009 after an eight-month battle with lung cancer. Born in Santa Monica, CA on October 29, 1952, Doug eventually moved to Salt Lake City to conduct graduate studies in Philosophy at the University of Utah. Along the way he worked as a volunteer coordinator for the Make-A-Wish foundation, a reader for the blind, and a hospice volunteer. Yet it was as an educator that Doug truly found his calling, having taught at the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, and Westminster College, where he first arrived as a faculty member in the fall of 1995. Reflecting his varied interests, he taught in the Departments of Art, English, and Philosophy, as well as in the college's Honors program. He was also the founding director of Westminster's film studies program. Doug's influence on hundreds of students over those 15 years was legendary. He changed the lives of his students by opening the world to them and giving them the confidence to believe that they had a significant place in that world. For many students, Doug was the first person in their lives who truly listened to them, who said with encouragement, "I want to hear what you have to say, because your words and ideas matter." And they responded in kind, becoming deeply attached and devoted to their mentor. This sensibility derived from Doug's humility, generosity, and his utter lack of animosity towards those around him. That generosity was in evidence in his willingness to allow his lifelong friend, the filmmaker Paul Babin, to document Doug's struggle against cancer, in the belief that the film might help others. Even to the end, Doug was teaching. Throughout his battle with cancer, Doug maintained his humor and delight at the English language, especially the way in which it provided opportunities for bad jokes, puns, and outrageous comparisons. For someone who relished the chance to work with words - it was one of his callings, after all - cancer just gave him more material. Before having surgery in May to relieve problems with his pleural cavity, Doug announced: "They're lining my lungs with talcum to increase my inner beauty." He coached a colleague to ask him if dying was hard, so that he could respond "Dying is easy; comedy is hard." Doug's favorite activities included painting, writing poetry, and playing drums; talking about the "astonishing" work of his students; getting into his car by himself and exploring the beautiful landscapes of our country; hanging out with his "homies," especially at Salt Lake Bees games in section 104; spending time with friends while sharing a spicy dish of Chinese food; investigating the many beautiful and spiritual places hidden throughout the Salt Lake Valley; and learning as much as he could about the art of filmmaking. Doug leaves behind no family, but he was especially grateful for the devoted care and generous support he received from many friends, colleagues, and students during his illness. Per Doug's wishes, there will be no funeral service. Donations may be made in his memory to any group that, in Doug's words, "assists those who suffer from poverty, hunger, disease, and lack of the most fundamental needs of life."