Benjamin Wright

Benjamin M. Wright, passed away at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, in Needham, MA on February 24, 2014 at the age of 87. Ben is survived by Lieske, his loving wife of 55 years. He is dearly remembered by his four children, Donald A. Wright (and his wife, Ellen DeVoe) of Newton, MA, Steven B. Wright (and his wife, Joanne) of Cumberland, RI, Marjanneke N. Wright (and her husband Ted Yoos) of Waltham, MA and Susan P. Bodor (and her husband Laszlo Bodor) of Lynchburg, VA; his eleven grandchildren and four sisters - ly Metz of Ithaca, NY, Priscilla Smythe of Upper Sandusky, OH, Marcia Wright of New York, NY and Sunapee, NH and Janet Schreiber of Madison, WI and Denver, CO. Ben was born on July 21, 1926 to the late Donald K. Wright and Frances N. Wright in Jackson Heights, NY. Ben graduated from Mamaroneck High School in 1943 and attended Yale University. He left Yale to serve two years in the Army in Italy and the Philippines during World War II and returned to graduate with a BA in History in 1949. After college, Ben attended medical school at Columbia Universitys College of Physicians and Surgeons, graduating in 1953. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and an internship in Rochester NY. He joined the Princeton Medical Group in 1957. In 1958. Ben married Elize (Lieske) Poestkoke. He served the Princeton NJ community as a primary care physician for 28 years. Ben retired from private practice in 1985 to join Princeton University Health Services. At Princeton, he served as the founding director of the Universitys new occupational health program which he oversaw for nine years until he retired in 1994. In 2011, Ben and Lieske moved from Princeton, NJ, where they had lived for 50+ years, to the North Hill Retirement Community in Needham, MA to be closer to family. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist, 23 Dedham Avenue, Needham, MA. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr. Wrights memory may be made to Princeton Hospice and Home Care, a unit of Princeton Health Care Systems, at 88 Princeton-Hightstown Rd., Suite 202, Princeton, NJ 08550 or online at Princetonhcs.org. Remembrances of Ben and condolensces may be offered online at Memorialwebsites. Legacy.com