He was born November 20, 1921, at Fitzsimons General Hospital, Denver, Colo., to Col. (ret.) Lucius F. Wright, Sr., MC, USA, and Kathryn Pearl (Denny) Wright. He moved many times growing up as an “Army brat” and loved to regale family with stories from that time in his life. He was appointed to the U. S. Military Academy from Colorado and graduated in the Class of June 1943. He served in the ETO during WW II with the 14th FA Bn., 2nd Armored Division, and received the Bronze Star for valor.
While on R&R in 1945 with his father in Alexandria, La., he was introduced to his future wife, Mary Mina Whitener, but had to return to Europe for occupation duty. Upon his return, they were married in Alexandria, January 27, 1947, and celebrated 72 years of married life. His final tour of duty was in Washington, where he received the Legion of Merit for his service on the Army General Staff. He retired in 1968 and moved to Memphis, where he engaged in business on his own account until a second retirement in 1988. At that point his wife reminded him she had married him for better or worse, but not lunch.
He was active at Good Shepherd and subsequently Bartlett UMC, was an active tennis player into his 80’s, and was also active in the Tennessee Genealogical Society, the West Tennessee Historical Society, the Association of U. S. Military Academy Graduates, Military Order of the World War, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Kiwanis Club.
He had a photograph made in Manila, Philippine Islands in 1922, where he was looking at the camera with a grin that stayed with him his entire life. As he aged his hearing failed and was forever having the earpiece of his hearing aid come out. He said, “I guess I must grin it out.” Despite the infirmities of great age, which he attributed to his guardian angel never taking a day off, he tried to maintain a forward looking outlook. He and his wife moved to Jackson in December 2015, and he took the view this was his last PCS short of a trip to heaven. He would be pleased to know he died on Easter Sunday.
He was pre-deceased by his parents and his younger brother, Ralph Denny Wright, M. D.
He is survived by his wife, his brother in law, George A. Whitener (Joan), whom he called his first teenager, his three children, Lucius F. Wright, III, M. D., (Cynthia), Judith Wright Pierce, and George Denny Wright, (Susan), nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The family requests memorial be made to First United Methodist Church in Jackson or Bartlett United Methodist Church in Memphis in lieu of flowers.
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