Pauline Taylor Wright

One of eight children, she was born on November 10, 1923 in Waco, TX to the late James Walter Taylor Sr. and Lydia Grace (Crane) Taylor.

Polly has been reunited in Heaven with her parents, James and Lydia Taylor; her loving husband of 60 years, Wade C. Wright Sr.; and her siblings, Guy Taylor, J.W. Taylor Jr., Lonnie Taylor, Clara Lawrence, Sarah DeBerry, Minnie Hathcock, and Pat Mozeley.

Born in Texas during a family visit to Waco, Polly returned home to North Carolina shortly after her birth. She grew up in Waxhaw and attended public school there, eventually graduating from high school in 1941. Following graduation, she moved to Charlotte to find work and remained in Charlotte for most of her adult life.

In the mid-1940s, Polly met her future husband, Wade C. Wright, a Charlotte local, after he returned home from the war. A few years later, they were married at a local church in Charlotte, and they welcomed their first child together a few years after that.

Polly and Wade were charter members of Tuckaseegee United Methodist Church, which is known today as Covenant United Methodist Church. As a devoted member, Polly taught Sunday School classes and led Vacation Bible School events, and she was a treasured member of the church choir. One of her favorite pastimes was attending the Christmas Eve service at church and then having everyone back to her home for a party after.

While their children were young, Polly sold Avon products and did income tax preparation on the side so she could spend more time at home with her family. Once the children had graduated high school, around 1970, she changed career paths and began working as a Bookkeeper at the A&P home office for about seven years. Later, in 1977, Polly took her bookkeeping skillset to the Harris Teeter home office, where she remained until her retirement in 1998.

Polly was an incredible cook, with her creamed corn, desserts, apple butter, and jelly being some of her family’s favorites. Every summer, she and her family would go blackberry picking so she always had fresh berries for her homemade jelly. She was also an expert at canning, namely preparing green beans, tomatoes, and a vegetable soup mix. When she wasn’t cooking or canning, she could often be found utilizing her master seamstress abilities to make clothes for herself and others.

Always on the go, Polly enjoyed traveling to places near and far, to the beach and the mountains, and especially to her favorite frequent destination, Tampa, Florida. In her free time, she liked to hunt for all the latest shopping deals, and some years she even braved the Black Friday sales. Over the years, she acquired an impressive collection of clothes, all very nice, and she was insistent that everything she wore had to match perfectly.

Polly was a strong, smart woman, committed to doing things the right way and never cutting corners. Neat and organized as well, her high standards were a force to be reckoned with. All at the same time, Polly was a natural caretaker and incredibly thoughtful; she remembered the little things about people, like their parents’ names or where they grew up. All of these qualities together made Polly who she was - dynamic, unforgettable, and so much more.

Those left to honor Polly’s memory include her children, Gayle Welborn (Raleigh) and Wade Wright Jr. (Deborah); her grandchildren, Michelle Arrington (Michael), Andrew T. Wright, and Karrie Whitson (Scott); her great-grandchildren, Riley Keener, Jackson Wright, Edison Wright, and Taylor Arrington; as well as numerous other cherished family members, a beloved church family, and many dear friends.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from 1:00pm until 2:00pm on Thursday, September 15, 2022 at Covenant United Methodist Church, 6824 Tuckaseegee Road in Charlotte.

The funeral service is to be conducted at 2:00pm, immediately following the visitation, at the church, where Pastor Bruce Handy is to officiate.

The burial will follow, via police escort, at Forest Lawn West Cemetery, 4601 Freedom Drive in Charlotte.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Polly’s name to Covenant United Methodist Church or Hospice & Palliative Care Lincoln County.