Jack Frank Wright

Jack Wright, Jr. was born in Monroe, LA on January 21, 1933 and passed away on February 22, 2026. When Jack was 9, the family moved to Shreveport. Jack joined the U.S. Army at 19, serving as a paratrooper and instructor in the 82nd Airborne Division. He then attended Northwest Nazarene College at Nampa, Idaho. He married while at NNC, and two daughters, Sherry and Roxie, were born. He then served as an interim pastor for a Nazarene church before going on to earn his master's degree and a PhD in Sociology from LSU.

He taught at Florida State, Auburn, Mississippi State and for several years at Loyola in New Orleans. He wrote four sociology and criminology textbooks and became well known as a criminologist. In his 40's, he earned a Juris Doctorate from Loyola, married his wife Margaret, and moved to Monroe where he practiced law for over 35 years. Two sons were born, Michael and Joseph. His study of sociology convinced him that the social costs of legalized gambling far outweighed any economic benefits, and he played a pivotal role in seeing video-poker machines removed and casinos kept out of our community. He also worked with Rev. Roosevelt Wright Jr. to establish a program to reward at risk youth with cash prizes for memorizing bible verses, as well as helping to secure the funding needed to make J.S. Clark a magnet school. He became a leader in the pro-life movement, responsible for hundreds of pro-life billboards in our area. He was also known for hundreds of Christian conservative letters to the editor. His fifth book was published, Freud's War with God. He was a member of Rocky Branch Assembly for over 30 years.

Jack leaves his wife of 46 years, Margaret Worley Wright; his daughter, Sherry Wright Arnold (Ben) of Kelso, WA; two sons, Dr. Michael Wright of Lake Charles and Joseph Wright (Jennifer) of Monroe. He leaves grandchildren, Jana Parker Randolph, Sarah Parker, Alexis Edwards and Alexander Wright, and four great grandchildren. Jack was preceded in death by his daughter, Roxie Wright Parker.

Funeral services will be held at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in West Monroe on Friday, February 27, 2026, with a visitation beginning at 10:00 AM and the service following at 11:00 AM. The service will be officiated by Pastors Eugene Brown and Justin Uselton. A private burial will be held at Mount Zion Cemetery in Calhoun, where he will be interred next to his father in accordance with Jack's wishes.