Virginia Ann Wright

1937 - 2025

Virginia passed away peacefully and in the company of family on February 8, 2025 at her home. She was born in Rock Island, Illinois on March 30, 1937 to Leonard and Helen (Woolums) Peterson. Raised in Morro Bay, California, Virginia graduated from San Luis Obispo High School in 1956. During high school and at San Luis Obispo Junior College, Virginia was active in choral music and sang many solos in Mid-Coast California region. She was active in the International Order of the Rainbow Girls and earned the title of Miss Morro Bay just prior to her High School graduation. In 1956, Virginia married Paul Elbridge Wright, also of Morro Bay. They moved to New Jersey in 1958 when Paul joined RCA Advanced Technology Laboratories. First settling in Haddonfield, NJ, they eventually moved to Potomac, MD where Paul retired as Chairman of Chrysler Technologies. Virginia was a lifelong learner. She studied history at Rutgers University prior to earning her nursing diploma in 1977 from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). She then worked as a RN at HUP and as a volunteer nurse for the American Red Cross. In addition to the Red Cross, Virginia was actively involved in several charity organizations, including Meals on Wheels and served as President of the Metropolitan Washington Chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS). She is preceded in death by her loving husband of 60 years. She is survived by her four children, Neil Wright, Sue Potter, Warren Wright and Anne Thrush, her nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, her sister Dorothy Phillips of Nevada, and sister-in-law Naomi Landorf of Bend, Oregon. There will be a celebration of life reception at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda on Saturday, February 22 from 12 to 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Virginia Wright to Achievement Rewards for College Scientists/Metropolitan Washington Chapter at metro-washington.arcsfoundation.org.