Wilbur Mason Wright

St. Cloud - In the starry night of July 12, 2024, Wilbur Mason Wright, "slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; put out his hand and touched the face of God." (excerpt from High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.) With a name like Wilbur Wright, you would have to expect him to leave the bonds of earth and fly free. He spent only a few days in hospice care prior to his death. This past June 9th we celebrated his 102nd birthday.

Wilbur lived his life with a dedication to integrity, compassion and respect for all living beings. He embraced the Native American beliefs along with his Christian faith. Family meals always started with a prayer offered by Wilbur. He was grateful for the abundance of the meal, because he was a child of the great depression. He prayed for peace and harmony for the country and the world. He also always remembered the less fortunate, and those suffering.

He shared the quote below with us several times during conversations, saying this is a reflection of how he perceived life.

"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." - Chief Blackfoot

He was recently deeply saddened by the passing of his long-time companion and second wife, Elinor. They had been married 47 years. Wilbur and Elinor came together many years after the passing of Elinor's first husband, Guido Detra and father to her children. Dede, John, and Ellen. Wilbur's first wife, Betty lost a long battle with cancer. Betty was the mother to their two children: Linda Harrington of Littleton, CO and Charles (Chuck) Wright of Seattle WA. After Betty's passing, his brother, Don, encouraged Wilbur to reach out to Elinor as she had navigated the loss of Guido to cancer. Elinor and Betty had shared a friendship when they met as teachers in Boulder in the 1960's.

The resulting reconnection between Wilbur and Elinor created a blended family There are five people in the blended family of co-siblings. Wilbur's children: Linda and Charles (Chuck); and Elinor's children Dede, John, Ellen. A large and treasured family of grandchildren and great-grandchildren will think of Wilbur with respect and gratitude for his kind and generous spirit. In Wilbur' final months and days he was lifted up by the friends who visited often. Some went daily-his granddaughter Tessa and his friend Paul. Pastor Ken visited to offer communion and conversation.

Wilbur, was born in Boulder CO. He was the first-born child to Kelly and Iva Wright, who raised Wilbur with five siblings: Nina, Marie, Verna, Don and Ethel. Several months after his birth they moved to the high-country, Craig, CO., where they worked alongside Wilbur's grandparents on a 160-acre allotment of land offered by the US Government in 1900.

Wilbur got his opportunity to attend school at age 4 because his cousins took him with them. No desk was available for him, but he was able to sit in the back of the room and listen. He rode his horse Rowdy to school every day. He was motivated to learn all that he could. Eventually the family moved back to Boulder. Kelly was employed by the Black Diamond Coal Mine Co. in Louisville CO. In 1942 Kelly and Wilbur were hired as groundskeepers for the new University of Colorado campus. This eventually led Wilbur to apply for the ROTC scholarship which provided him with the opportunity to attend CU.

Those of us who knew and loved him admired his brilliance and fierce desire to learn. He often shared that being able to join his cousins in the tiny country school ignited his life-long spark for learning. He kept the light of learning in his life for over 100 years. Even at 95 years old he could explain atomic energy theory. He remained interested in the progress of cold fusion. In his later years he voiced his deep concern for climate change and environmental stewardship. In his later years he often shared this Chief Dakota quote as he was keenly aware of the upcoming climate disaster, the degradation of forests, rivers and oceans. "We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." - Chief Dakota

As a young man he entered the University of Colorado in Boulder as a ROTC candidate. Studying Engineering. These studies earned him a naval officer position as WWII began.

He was considered as one of the nation's most capable engineers and was given multiple assignments that would impact the course of WWII. In 1944 he was selected with a number of other engineers to go to Los Alamos to work on the atom bomb that eventually ended WWII. This had a powerful impact on who Wilbur was as a person and humanitarian.

His life included creating and developing a successful business in Denver, serving as a world traveling consultant for the International Executive Corporation. He and Elinor were assigned to Brazil, Portugal, and Russia. They helped develop commerce and community support opportunities with the governmental leadership in these countries. He and Elinor loved to travel, and they visited almost every continent on Earth. They visited the Great Wall, the Pyramids of Gaza, Stonehenge, and entered many sacred places. They observed wildlife around the world. They visited and understood many diverse cultures made up of people with a wide variety of beliefs. They passed their experiences on to us in conversations that were insightful and instructive whenever we were together.

As he entered his 70's he discovered new artistic endeavors, painting, wood carving and pottery. Not only did he discover these, but he also excelled at them. His carved wood art based on Native American folklore and wildlife is remarkable. Wilbur took his first pottery class at age 92. His pottery is whimsical and beautifully crafted.

He loved observing the wildlife at the home he and Elinor shared on Sand Lake MN. Fishing, bird watching, boating and observing the woodland animals became a passion for him. In his 80s he discovered and cultivated a passion for dogs! His canine companions Good Dog, Charlie and Gigi were treasured friends.

Wilbur embraced the people and community in Sand Lake and he and Elinor helped countless people in need of their support.

As he turned 100 years old, he pulled out his harmonica and started making music for the residents and staff at Cherrywood, where he and Elinor spent their final days. Wilbur discovered a social community at the VA Hospital in St. Cloud. Until the final week of his life, he went to see his friends and staff who honored not only him for his service as a WWII veteran, as one of the few remaining war heroes of the Greatest Generation.

How do you say farewell to such a remarkable and accomplished person? It is impossible to honor him for everything he accomplished, shared, and created. He spoke in the spring with Chuck about how worried he was for the state of our country and how the next election is so critical. I hope as you read this you will honor this great man by learning what you can do to maintain our democracy.

He valued friendship, family and service to our country. We know he is watching us and hoping that we will rise to the challenge. With love, admiration, and gratitude - a salute to you Wilbur. You are deeply missed, but always in our hearts.