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DANIEL WRIGHT Obituary

DANIEL ROBERT WRIGHT Daniel Robert Wright, 66, of Palm Springs, Calif., passed away at home on December 1, 2023, after multiple health complications. His husband Tim Clark and family were at his side, along with his kitties, "This" and "That." Daniel was born in Leavenworth, Kan. on November 30, 1957, to Bob and Ruthe Wright. He was the youngest of three children. He is survived by his sister Bobbie Wildung (David) of Leavenworth and brother John Wright (Kathi) of Overland Park, along with several nieces and nephews. Daniel packed a lot of life into 66 years. Prior to his health declining, he was continuously ready to explore new adventures, dive into new projects, attend a charity event, or host a dinner party. His "on-the-go" drive was evident as a toddler. So much so, that his mother used to put a harness around him and tie him to the clothesline to keep him from running out of the yard. Daniel graduated from Leavenworth High School in 1976. No longer tied to the clothesline, he started his first big adventure outside of Leavenworth at Troy University in Alabama following his love of theater and summer stock. After leaving Alabama, he moved to New York City where he lived and worked for 12 years. New York City held some very special memories of times he spent with his parents who loved visiting him there. Wonderful dinners and entertaining shows were always on their list of things to do. Daniel was known for his great hair and gorgeous blue eyes. He was charismatic and could light up any room he walked into. He loved his kitties, he enjoyed traveling, he treasured movies from the 30s, 40s and 50s and had an amazing knowledge of those movies, as well as an impressive collection of memorabilia. In 1988 he moved to Laguna Beach, Calif., where he met Tim Clark. Daniel and Tim married and moved to Palm Springs in 1996. Their love of design and architecture led them to start the Wright Design Group, which influenced the Modernism movement in Palm Springs with the restoration of the Alexander built homes, for which the prestigious lifestyle magazine Palm Springs Life coined the duo "The Alexander Revivalists" in March 2001. Daniel was a certified interior decorator and a member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Daniel was a three-time International Gold Nugget Award of Merit recipient for renovation/restoration. In addition to projects in the Coachella Valley, he completed projects in Laguna Beach, Newport, Anaheim Hills, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, New York, and Paris. Daniel's distinctive projects were published in numerous magazines, as well as being featured on HGTV's "Awesome Interiors." Daniel and Tim were strong supporters of area charities and worked tirelessly helping to raise over a million dollars through auctions and benefits, as well as serving on numerous boards. In 2004 he received the Community Service Award from the Aids Assistance Program. In 2011, Daniel earned the prestigious Golden Halo Award for Philanthropy from the Southern California Motion Picture Council. The Golden Halo is the SCMPC's highest award. Past honorees include Bette Davis, James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Robert Mitchum, Doris Day and Charlton Heston, Jean Harlow, Lucille Ball and many more. Daniel was also actively involved in the Palm Springs recovery community and celebrated 19 years of sobriety. Daniel was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Ruthe Wright. He had an especially close relationship with his mother Ruthe, who we know was overjoyed to be reunited with her "Danny." There will be a memorial service held in Palm Springs celebrating Daniel's life. A private graveside service will be held in Leavenworth. In lieu of flowers, family asks for donations to be made in Daniel's name to Hope, Inc., https://hopeleav.org/ Hope Pet Rescue, 770 Shawnee Street, Leavenworth, KS 66048.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Leavenworth Times from Dec. 6 to Dec. 7, 2023.

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5 Entries

Dean & Philip

January 6, 2024

Daniel will always hold a special place in our hearts. It will always be Tim & Daniel in our memories.
Love
Dean & Philip

Robin (Roberson) Mezger

December 24, 2023

Danny was a longtime high school friend of mine. He introduced me to the music of Bette Midler before anybody knew WTH she was and shared lots of fun times, as he had a wonderful sense of fun and humor. While life took us in different directions, we kept in touch and he was one of the few childhood friends who reached out to me after my father passed away. He lived life with passion and style! The world is a lot less colorful without him!

Elise Zappas

December 12, 2023

We all loved having Daniel in our group with his intelligence and sharp wit as well as deep affection for all of us. God rest his soul.

BARBARA WISBEY

December 8, 2023

DANIEL & TIM FOUND ME SHORTLY AFTER THEY ARRIVED IN THE DESERT FROM THE BEACH. I TOURED SEVERAL BEAUTIFUL ESTATES THAT THE BOYS HAD TRICKED OUT & REMODELED TO PERFECTION IN Rancho Mirage. THEN THEY PURCHASED THEIR NEW HOME IN VISTA LAS PALMAS & STARTED HAVING SOCIAL GATHERINGS THERE.GREAT MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS BE CHERISHED FROM THESE TWO WONDERFUL BOYS!!! DANIEL'S GORGEOUS BLUE EYES WOULD JUST SUCK YOUR HEART RIGHT OUT OF YOUR CHEST!!! IT WAS A TRUE TREASURE TO HAVE KNOWN HIM! MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS ENTIRE FAMILY. SPECIAL BLESSINGS TO TIMOTHY!!!

Mona de Crinis

December 7, 2023

My heart goes out to Tim and all of Daniel's family - blood and extended, of which there were many of us. Daniel was a whirlwind of charisma and creativity, with a heart that seemed to know no bounds. The world is less bright without his neon-colored light. RIP sweet Daniel.

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