Anne Wright

Edith Anne Runk Wright-writer, teacher, editor, and beloved wife of the poet James Wright-passed away peacefully at her home in Rhinebeck, New York, on November 29, 2025. Anne was born in New York City and grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, the eldest of three daughters born to Louise Hoyt Froment and William North Runk. After graduating from Wheelock College in 1950, she taught for forty-two years, working with students from nursery school age to young adults at such institutions as The Chapin School, the Walden School, and New York University. Between 1954 and 1957, Anne lived and taught in Rome and Paris. In the summer of 1965, she spent four days in jail for her part in voter registration efforts in Newton, Georgia. She met James Wright in April 1966, and they married a year and a day later in New York City, which became their home. Throughout their marriage, the couple often traveled in Europe, especially in Italy and France. Following James Wright's death from cancer in March 1980, Annie (as she is known in his poetry) became dedicated to preserving and furthering her husband's literary legacy. She continued their custom of spending summers in Misquamicut, Rhode Island, and frequently returned to Europe. In 1994, Anne joined the peace train organized by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which took participants to the United Nations' Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China. She was active for three decades with the Poets House library in New York City. Until 2016, she lived in the apartment she had shared with her husband on East 85th Street in Manhattan, before relocating to the Arbor Ridge community in Rhinebeck. During her summers in Misquamicut, Anne volunteered for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, counting Piping Plover chicks each spring on East Beach. She was an avid naturalist, a voracious reader, and a steadfast friend. Anne's warmth, charm, and great good humor are remembered by all who knew her. Anne Wright is survived by her stepson, Marshall Wright; her nieces, Laura Lee DeCinque (Gregory DeCinque), Karin East Marvin (Bob Marvin), and Nan Salomon (Bill Salomon); and nephews Thomas Lee (Susan Lee-Tanner), Brenton Lee (Ann Lee), Howard Lee, Robin East, and James East. Donations in Anne Wright's memory may be made to Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation (80 Washington Street, Suite 204, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601) or to Poets House (10 River Terrace, New York, NY 10282).