Jack L. Wright

Jack Lynn Wright, 85, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 14, 2026, at 6:06 p.m. in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Born on September 15, 1940, in Plano, Texas, Jack arrived in the world with grit, stubbornness, and a fierce independence that stayed with him all his life. 

Jack was born to R.F. “Red” Wright and Marquerite (Wright) Partain and grew up on a farm in Muleshoe, Texas. He graduated from Muleshoe High School in 1959, remembered for his humor, charm, and a presence that made people pay attention. He was voted “Most Handsome” as a sophomore, captained the football team, and ran the 800 meters and relay in track. After high school, he attended Canyon Community College, where one of his favorite memories involved piling into a car with his buddies and heading to The Big Texan Steak Ranch. One friend attempted the famous 72-ounce steak challenge — and failed spectacularly — leaving Jack to help pay for the costly meal.

 In the early 1960s, after moving to Colorado, the Wright family bought a farm in Baca County. Jack continued learning the rhythm and hard work of farm life while pursuing his education at Lamar Community College, where he earned his associate degree and lettered in rodeo. Rodeo eventually took him to Panhandle Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Oklahoma Panhandle State University), where he met Shirley Williams on a blind date. They married on January 28, 1966, in Guymon, Oklahoma, beginning a long, unpredictable, and unforgettable life together. 

Jack was a farmer and rancher by trade and a cowboy by temperament. He wasn’t always the easiest man — he could be mean, he cussed like a sailor, and he lived life on his own terms. But he was also funny, quick with a joke, and always ready to laugh. He loved watching westerns and sticking to a schedule as if it were gospel. He once told his daughter she should write a western novel — and he meant it.

 He found joy in roping, flying airplanes, playing guitar, and, in his younger years, racing cars. He liked things fast, loud, and full of life — just like he was. 

In the 1970s, Jack and Shirley began building their family. Their son Larry was born in Springfield, and their daughter Lorena arrived years later in Walsh. Larry remembers riding with his dad on Rocky, the family’s palomino horse, one of those simple memories that stay warm forever.

 In the early 1980s, the family moved to Kansas, leasing and farming land 25 miles north of Elkhart for nearly a decade. By the 1990s, Jack and Shirley achieved their dream of owning farmland outside Vilas, Colorado, where they ran cattle and farmed together until the mid-2000s. They remained on the family farm until Jack’s passing. 

Jack loved his grandsons — Dalton, Liam, and Luke — and he asked about them constantly. He took pride in their accomplishments, their personalities, and the young men they were becoming. They brought out a softer side of him that not everyone got to see. 

 Jack also had a lifelong love of animals — a trait shared by the Wright brothers and passed down through the family. Growing up in Muleshoe, he and his brother Jerry raised a crow from a young fledgling. Family stories tell of the day the cat and the crow got into the house, chaos erupted, and Marquerite had her hands full. Jack’s love of horses followed him throughout his life, and he had a dachshund named Kingfisher. Rocky, the palomino, remained one of his most beloved companions. 

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, R.F. “Red” Wright and Marguerite Wright Partain, and by his youngest brother, Steve Wright, and his nephews, Danny Wright, Jeremiah Wright, and Jeff Alford.

 He is survived by his wife, Shirley Wright; his son, Larry Wright; his daughter, Lorena (Wright) Lott; his older sister, Pat Alford; his younger brother, Jerry Wright; and his grandsons Dalton Melius, Liam Lott, and Luke Lott. He also leaves behind nieces, nephews, and countless stories that will be retold for years to come.

 Jack lived a life that wasn’t perfect, but it was real. He was tough, funny, stubborn, and unforgettable — and those who knew him will remember him exactly as he was.