Emory W. Wright

Emory Wright Obituary

EMORY W. WRIGHT

Emory Warren Wright, 83, of Wilmington, died Saturday, April 2, 2011, at Lower Cape Fear Hospice & LifeCareCenter.

Emory was born March 5, 1928 in Freeport, NY, son of the late George H. Wright and Hazel Smith Wright. His grandson, Michael Wright, preceded him in death.

Mr. Wright was Deacon Emeritus at Christ Lutheran Church in Freeport, NY. He served as a volunteer firefighter and former Captain with the Freeport Fire Department for over 43 years. When he moved to Wilmington, he served as Lay Chaplain at New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Cape Fear Hospital for over 16 years and was a Visitation Minister at the Lutheran Church of Reconciliation.

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Marilyn V. Wright; three sons, Randal F. Wright (Joan) of Rutland, VT, Jonathan E. Wright (Dorothy) of Wilmington, and Adam Wright (Lynn) of Baldwin, NY; seven grandchildren, James W. Wright, Brendan M. Wright, Billy Wright, Tim Wright, Sara J. Wright, Daniel E. Wright, and Christian E. A. Wright; and three great-grandchildren, Warren Wright, Evan Wright, and Cooper Wright.

A funeral service will be 4:30 pm Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at the Lutheran Church of Reconciliation with Rev. Bill Milholland officiating. The family will receive friends, at the church, from 3:30 pm until the service hour. Interment will be held in Greenfield Cemetery, Hempstead, NY, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Emory's name may be made to the Lutheran Church of Reconciliation, 7500 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28411, or to the Freeport Fire Department Benevolent Association, 416 Atlantic Avenue, Freeport, NY 11520.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com

A Market Street Chapel Service

Online condolences at StarNewsOnline.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Wilmington Star-News on Apr. 5, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Emory Wright

6 Entries

Mitzi Kincaid and Linda Mountjoy

April 15, 2011

Emory touched our lives deeply - his love and concern for his wife and family was strong and unwaivering, and his unselfish devotion to those in need was admirable. He will be sorely missed by all.

Randy Wright

April 8, 2011

A man once said, "Integrity is doing the right thing, even if no one is watching.” Integrity is also quietly volunteering to do something good for someone else and never mentioning it to anyone.

If there is a single thread that ran through my Dad's life from beginning to end it was volunteerism, which is a building block of integrity.

My earliest memories of Dad's volunteering were when he brought Christmas gifts each year to those in his own family that were less fortunate than he.

Around the same time he gave to my first school at a fun day for kids. He invented and built the" Emory Board". A
game some of you probably remember.

All the while Dad was a dedicated volunteer fireman, an activity that would consume more than half of his life. Countless times he selflessly shot out of bed in the middle of the night to rush to help someone he would never know.

He volunteered to help Little League Baseball teams.

He went to the hospital around the corner from our house and gave his time to help the Doctors and nurses treat injured patients in the emergency room.

He joined the Lutheran Church in Freeport and volunteered to read from the pulpit and much, much more. He befriended and mentored several
young pastors through the years at that church.

In 1979 when Joanie and I moved to Vermont you don't need to guess who volunteered to get a U Haul and tow it all the way there.

Then his health problems started. That didn't stop his volunteering. He moved to Wilmington, joined
the Lutheran Church and started all over as you know doing all the same things again.

He became a visiting chaplain at many area hospitals and facilities and continued until just a short time ago. When I walked into the hospice on Saturday, just hours before he died I realized I had been there before. It was the same place Dad had taken me a few years earlier. He'd
had a patient to visit.

What can we do to honor his legacy? . Everyone of of us that are physically able, sometime soon, today,
tomorrow, next week or whenever you can, volunteer to help someone or some organization in some small way. Do this in my father Emory's memory.

And when you do, "don't mention it."

That's Emory...........That's integrity.

Thanks for the lesson Dad. RFW

Carolyn Oglesby

April 7, 2011

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My prayers are with you, Jon, Dorothy, Christian, and all of your family.

Mike & Ruth Sodaitis

April 5, 2011

My deepest sympathy to the Wright family
on the passing of their father.
Our thoughts are with you at this time.

Laurie Wierse

April 5, 2011

So sorry to read about Emory's passing. He visited Dad often.

Anne Andrea

April 5, 2011

This is sad news indeed. Emory was a lovely, wonderful man and touched innumerable lives with his positive, caring demeanor. We have lost a precious man. Thank you, Emory, for each uplifting moment you shared with me, esp your daily visits while I was at NHRMC in 2001. Dear Marilyn, family, and friends: I send my love, sympathy for your loss, and prayers for your comfort.

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