Gay Wright

1928 - 2025

Gay Wright

January 1, 1928 - February 14, 2025

Raymond, California - Gay Wright was born in Narcissa, Oklahoma, to Hershel and Frauzelta Flanagan and was one of 7 children. She lived her early years in the Arkansas and Missouri area. In 1934, 13 family members came to California all riding in one old truck. Eventually settling in Fresno, she graduated from Fresno Tech High School and attended Fresno State. Gay worked for the Fresno Bee as Society Page reporter and met her future husband, Philip "Bub" Wright at a Rainbow Ballroom dance. They married in 1950 and lived in the Oakhurst and Coarsegold area. Eventually they moved to Browns Valley where Bub worked at the UC Experimental station as the herdsman.

In 1970 they moved the family back to Oakhurst and Raymond to work on the family ranch.

Gay was active in the community being a 4H leader in two counties and a 4H Community leader. Working beside Bub on the ranch she was active in the Madera County Cattlewomen where she served as President, was on the scholarship committee and was Cowbell of the year. She was also an active member of the Raymond Community Church. She loved having her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren visit her at the ranch.

Gay and Bub were married for 62 years until he passed in 2012. During their marriage they loved to have friends over for dinner, travel, camp and dance whenever they could. They had three children, Michael Wright, Debbie Drenon, and Linda Maness. They also had 7 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Gay is survived by two sisters, Shirly Ford and Betty McBee.

Graveside services will be Friday at 2:00 at the Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst and a celebration of life to follow at the Raymond Community Church in Raymond.