Robert L. Wright

Robert Lawrence Wright, 82, passed away May 5, 2012, in Las Vegas. Bob was born June 24, 1929, in Plainfield, N.J., the only child of Lawrence and Dorothy Wright. After attending schools in Plainfield, Bob graduated from college in West Virginia as a mechanical engineer. Unfortunately, the Korean War had started, and Bob entered the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant in the field artillery. He saw combat as a forward observer and was subsequently awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medal for valor. He went on to spend the next 20 years in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1971. After his military career, Bob went to work for San Joaquin County in the County Administrator's Office as a senior deputy county administrator. During this period, Bob was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to serve on the California Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In 1983, Bob left county employment after being appointed by then Governor George Deukmajian as deputy director of the California Department of General Services in Sacramento. He retired from that position in 1990. Throughout his military and public service, Bob was a member of numerous organizations, including the Kappa Alpha PSI National Fraternity, the Knights of Columbus, Rotary International, the Military Officers Association of America and the Blinded Veterans Association. Bob was a member of St. Luke's Catholic Church in Stockton, Calif. He is survived by his daughter, Kim Elizabeth Arnold, and her husband, Keith Arnold of Las Vegas. There will be a memorial service at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 24, at Frisbie-Warren & Carroll Mortuary, 809 N. California, Stockton, CA 95202. Burial will be at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, July 24, at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Arrangements under the direction of Palm South Jones Mortuary, Las Vegas, NV.