Woody Penn Wright

1946 - 2021

WRIGHT

WOODY PENN WRIGHT

Woody Penn Wright died peacefully at his home in Tega Cay, South Carolina on February 5, 2021. He was born January 14, 1946 in New York City to Helen Dilworth and Bud Hampton. At the age of 16, he was adopted by his step-father Russell Wright and changed his last name. Woody attended New York City public schools and was one of the few African American graduates of the Class of 1963, Stuyvesant High School. Early on, he demonstrated his intelligence and hard-working, practical nature, by working part-time as a messenger in Lower Manhattan while attending a high school known for nurturing future leaders and Nobel Laureates.

Woody traveled to Washington, DC with his family to participate in the 1963 March on Washington and to begin his freshman year at Howard University. While he was a student, Woody married Sharon Reynolds and had his son Sean. He worked two jobs to support his family and had to drop out of school for a short time. With determination and persistence, he completed his degree while working full time earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in January 1971.

After receiving his degree, he went to work for Raytheon Corporation in Boston. In 1974, Woody returned to Virginia to raise his son and worked for Sperry Systems Management Corporation. During his 38-year career in government contracting companies, he performed various roles from systems engineering through program design, to president and chief operating officer of a small business which he established with two colleagues from Sperry. Even when he became eligible to retire, Woody continued working in order to ensure his daughters a debt-free college education.

Woody was known for his big smile and boisterous laugh. He had a passion for travel, music especially jazz, cooking and old movies. Woody was a responsible and kind husband, father, brother, friend and work colleague. Woody was predeceased by his parents, his mother-in-law Elizabeth Garfield and his brother Myron. He is survived by his wife of 32 years Elsie Garfield, son Sean (Katy Jo) and grandsons Sean and Ellis, daughters Elizabeth (Jeremy) and Kara, sister Denise Spriggs (Greg), sister-in-law Debbie, brothers-in-law Robert (Ambra) and Sam (Barbara) Garfield, aunt Edith, cousin Jon Marc (Charlene), and 12 nieces and nephews.

A small family memorial was held February 12, 2021 in South Carolina. A funeral service will be held on October 11, 2022 at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, McLean, Virginia. Inurnment and a reception will follow at Columbia Gardens Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.