Donald Wright

Donald Eugene Wright, 83, passed away on March 9, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a long illness.

Born on September 15, 1942, in Wells, Nevada, to Raymond Wright of San Francisco and Alma Wright (née Myers) of Wells, Donald grew up in Wells alongside his older brother John. He was raised by his mother and her mother, Edith Myers (née Krenka), and went on to live a life defined by work, discipline, and a steady commitment to providing for his family. He shared that his grandfather, Albert Myers, pulled him into the world in the very house where he grew up, with no nurses, doctors, or midwives in attendance.

In his youth, Donnie spent time hiking in the surrounding mountains, often making long solitary hikes from his home all the way up to Angel Lake. A slender 6'3", he played high school basketball but was benched by a coach he had looked up to, whom he felt had long disliked him after an earlier incident in elementary school when Donnie playfully lobbed a snowball at him and was beaten for it.

Donnie was frequently accompanied by animals, including a dog, Ring, that would join him on his hikes. He kept many animals, including a pet owl and a raven. The raven would meet him as he walked home from school and perch on his shoulder. He spoke of hiking out to the warm springs at "3 mile" and "12 mile." In later years, he would point out geographic formations to his sons, identifying shapes such as "Eyes, Nose, and Mouth Cave" within the landscape.

He would later speak longingly of the times he spent on his Uncle James Lloyd Myers' ranch on the hillside in Ruby Valley, where he enjoyed fresh eggs and berries. One of his later regrets was failing to purchase that property when he had the opportunity, but by then his life was firmly established in Las Vegas.

As a boy of about ten, he climbed the steep roof of the church across the street from his home, using nails protruding from the shingles as handholds and footholds. He also spoke of hopping freight trains with friends on trips to Elko, of a senior prank involving letting livestock into the high school before classes began, and of listening in on community telephone lines where he could hear what others truly thought about him. He would also recall how, when bored during the summer, he and other local boys turned the community drinking water reservoir into their own swimming hole, until the town of Wells eventually put a stop to it.

These and many other stories were shared with his sons as he drove them to jobs throughout Las Vegas, bringing his youth to life in their imaginations. These early experiences appeared to shape a certain resistance to authority and a dimmer view of formal schooling, though in later years he seemed to come to terms with both-eventually purchasing and living in that teacher's/coaches' former home in his retirement in Wells and encouraging his own sons to pursue higher education.

While raising his boys, he often assumed they were engaged in similar mischief in the neighborhoods and deserts of Las Vegas, likely influenced by his own childhood experiences. At times, this led to discipline that could feel unfair, as he employed Marine Corps-style methods such as "up squats," "dirty doubles," and having them pick up cigarette butts along their street. "This is for all the things you did today that I don't know about," he'd say.

Donald served in the United States Marine Corps from 1960 to 1964. He had dropped out of high school and was washing dishes at the El Rancho when his buddy Abel Garcia came in and said, "Hey Donnie, we're going to Salt Lake to join the Marine Corps, want to go?" He enlisted at seventeen and began basic training at eighteen, when he otherwise would have been in his senior year. He later attended college both during and after his military service, though he did not complete a degree. His time in the Marines brought him to San Francisco where he gained specific unpleasant memories of his father Raymond who never supported him and whom he'd never seen growing up. Raymond took Don around the city, driving very fast and recklessly to intimidate and impress the fit service man sitting next to him in his dress uniform. Don recounted, "I just looked over and said, can't this thing go any faster."

He also was stationed in Okinawa, Japan and was so buried in books and duty during that period that he didn't even know who President Kennedy was when his assassination was announced. Don's response was, "Who?'" Undoubtedly, the Marine Corps, for better or worse, shaped the values that would guide him throughout his life - self-reliance, structure, and perseverance.

Don married Margaritha Mathilda Wright (née Müller), whom he met in Wells, Nevada, in 1976 while she was visiting from Switzerland during the United States Bicentennial, reflecting her adventurous spirit and extensive travels around the world. He would later say that his life truly began when he met her and started a family.

They built a life in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked as a skilled repairman for his own business, first called "The Wizard of Repair" and later "Don's Repair," traveling throughout the valley fixing what was broken - plumbing, electrical systems, roofs, and anything else that required attention. Over time, through persistence and effort, they built a portfolio of rental properties, at one point owning more than twenty-five homes, many of them concentrated within a single neighborhood.

After 30 years of marriage in Las Vegas, they retired to Wells, as Don put it, "Not to die, but to live." There, they purchased several properties. Donald continued to labor for others, repairing the museum schoolhouse, working on the earthquake-damaged hotel, and helping many neighbors with repairs to their homes. He and Margaritha went on many bike rides and hikes and attended community functions.

He is survived by his sons, Anthony Mark Wright and Gerald Frederick Wright; his grandson, Liam Anthony Wright; all of Las Vegas, Nevada; and was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Margaritha Mathilda Wright (née Müller), and his son, Lloyd William Wright.

He loved the outdoors, especially birds and the quiet challenge of hiking in the mountains. In the last seven years of his life, he rescued a hatchling pigeon that had been abandoned in the ruins of the earthquake-damaged El Rancho hotel. The pigeon was named Birdie by his wife and today is a pet of his grandson Liam. Don was also known for collecting and working with tools, finding satisfaction in fixing, building, and understanding how things worked. He collected books, getting boxes of them from thrift stores, and before the internet, his sons lived in a library where a book was always within reach. He was well read and mostly self-educated.

Those who knew him did not always understand him, but many recognized him as a thoughtful and observant person who preferred substance over show. His final six months were spent in Henderson, Nevada, where he was attended to by his sons and grandson. The last words he could have heard exiting this world were from his ten-year-old grandson Liam, who said, "I love you, Grandpa."

Donald will be remembered for his work ethic, his independence, his stoicism, and the life he built through persistence over many decades.