Gordon J Wright

Gordon Joseph Wright was born October 3, 1931, to William Vernon Wright and Mary Adeline Coats.

Gordon married Beverly Alice (Shauna) Herron, his friend and next-door neighbor, on September 6, 1950. Together they raised 4 lovely children and celebrated the births of 4 grandchildren. In the years following the grieved loss of his wife Shauna in 1994, Gordon was fortunate enough to meet and befriend Lola Chesnut. The two were happily married on May 11, 1996, and resided in Yuma, Arizona until 2022.

As a teenager Gordon worked on the dry farms in Tooele, Utah. He started working as a miller and truck driver for Salt Lake Flour when he was about 18 and was there until he retired. Reminiscing about his times at the mill were some of his favorite memories to share with friends and family.

While he and Shauna were raising their family in Kearns, Utah, he also found many ways to serve in his community. He became the president of the workers union at the flour mill and also volunteered as a local fireman and a scoutmaster for a time.

Throughout his life Gordon always kept up a variety of skills and interests. He tried his hand at stained glass with his daughter Wendy, and even learned a little carpentry to build a much-loved doll house and rocking elephant for his grandkids. Later in life while in Yuma he became proficient at making pens and wooden bowls which he sold, or often gifted to his close friends and family. Many of his creations are still loved, cherished, and used today!

Gordon was an exceptional, kind, and loving man. He loved his children immensely and worked hard to support his family even as he wished for more time to be with them as they grew. Some of his favorite times were his evenings around the dinner table hearing about his family’s day and experiences. He had dear acquaintances from the Salt Lake Valley to Yuma, Arizona where he and Lola built a wonderful community of tight knit friends. He never failed to show a deep love and interest in his grandchildren through adventures to get ice cream, long distance phone calls from Yuma, and summer campouts in his and Lola’s camper at Smith and Morehouse Reservoir. He loved his time spent with his adult children and their spouses helping around their homes, in their work, and interests, or spending warm Sunday evenings with them on his back porch just chatting and relaxing together.

As his family, we’re all so fortunate to have been loved and cared for by a man like Gordon Wright and we miss him deeply.

Gordon is preceded in death by his wife Shauna, his son Darin, his parents William and Adeline, his sisters Renee Mackay and Sylvia Young, his brother Dee, and his wife Lola Chesnut.

He is survived by his sister Bonnie Mitchell, daughters Kathy Wright, Julie (Randy) Fellows, Wendy (Ken) Twitchell, stepson Jerry Chesnut, his grandson Tyler (Jackie) Fellows and great grandsons Griffin and Sawyer, his granddaughter Katie (Jason) Blankenagel and great grandson Arlo, his grandson Jonathon Twitchell (Erin) and great granddaughters Edyn and Della, and his grandson Jeremy (Tyson Johnston) Twitchell.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday January 7, 2023, at the home of Randy and Julie Fellows. Please contact the family for the location address. Friends and neighbors are invited to attend from 2:00-4:00 PM.