PORTSMOUTH—John left this world for his heavenly home after a courageous battle with cancer on March 30, 2022. He was 67 years young. Born in Norfolk on February 13, 1955, and raised in Portsmouth, VA, he was predeceased by his parents, T. Judson Wright III and Mary Cameron Wright.
He is survived by his loving wife of 23 years, Denise Anne Wright, whom he loved with all his heart. John loved his family dearly and nothing meant more to him than his children. He is survived by five children: Abby Taylor Wright, Kim Wright, John Adam Wright (Sarah), Robert Ryan Keller, and Marcus Wayne Keller. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Alexander Martin Stidham, Adam Paul Stidham, Nathan John Wright and Ashton Porter Wright. Other survivors include his sister, Bruce Cameron Robinett (Ward) of Portsmouth; his brother, Thomas J. Wright IV (Jill) of Tarpon Springs, FL; a niece, Katharine Robinett Holley (Adrian) of Bozeman, MT; and two nephews, T.J. Wright V of Virginia Beach and James Cameron Robinett (Bria) of Portsmouth, VA. Also surviving are his uncle, Holt Wilson Butt, Jr. (Gale) of Suffolk, VA along with many cousins.
Of special mention is Melanie Michaels, who has worked by John’s side at Waverton Associates for more than twenty years and has been instrumental in Waverton’s success. Melanie and her sons, Kyle Michaels and Michael Rudisill, were very special to John. John leaves behind his lifelong best friends, Greg Lumsden, Nic Arcese, and Glenn Rosso, who provided great support during this journey. John never met a stranger and made many new friends over the years with Shannon Glover and Bill Throne being two of his closest.
At age 17, while still in high school, John started his first business, John P. Wright Construction Company, with one pickup truck and some concrete forms. His entrepreneurial spirit led to his founding of Waverton Associates in 1996, which is now a powerhouse in the real estate development industry with projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic. His good nature and business acumen were developed at an early age, as he was a constant companion and daily traveler with his father, Judson, during his early years on the family farm in Nansemond County.
When not on Waverton Farm, John spent the warmer months exploring the Western Branch of the Elizabeth River. His passion for boating led him to commission the building of M/Y “Waverton”, a 67’ Horizon, in Taiwan. He and Denise explored much of the Chesapeake Bay on that yacht. As a natural leader, John served two terms as the Commodore of the Hampton Roads Yacht Club and was the 2017 Commodore of the prestigious Florida Fun Fishers, guiding 38 anglers to the Abacos in the Bahamas. John’s other passion (like his great-grandmother, grandmother, and his mother before him) was genealogy, where he spent countless hours tracing family roots on both sides back many centuries.
As a lifelong resident of Portsmouth, John was involved in many civic endeavors in Hampton Roads. He served on the Board of Directors of the Tidewater Builders Association and the Board of the Virginia Association of Homebuilders. He was a founding member of the South Hampton Roads Habitat for Humanity and served as President for four years. John rolled up his sleeves and directed a team of builders that set a record of completing ten houses in ten days.
John’s sound belief in continuing education enabled him to be the first person in the country to obtain the prestigious Master Builder Designation which is given only to those who have met stringent qualifications. This achievement allowed John to become an instructor for the National Association of Home Builders teaching all Graduate Builders courses and six of the nine Master Builder courses.
He leaves a profound legacy in the communities he served. For those wishing to honor John, his family requests charitable donations be made to the newly established John Porter Wright Family Advised Fund via the Southeast Virginia Community Foundation (https://sevacf.org/give/donate/). The Fund will allow his descendants to carry on his spirit of generosity for years to come.
A memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 7, at Churchland Baptist Church, 3031 Churchland Blvd., Chesapeake. followed by a reception at Cedar Point Club to celebrate a life well lived! Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.
Read More
