Marilyn was born on December 7, 1936 to Welzie and Hildred Jackson. Raised alongside of her three sisters in Evansville, she attended Central High School. Shortly after graduation she met and married the love of her life, Raymond Earl Wright. The two were married on June 2nd, 1956 at St. Lucas Church in Evansville, and celebrated 65 wonderful years of marriage just two short months ago. Ray and Marilyn were blessed with a wonderful life together. They traveled the world, poured their lives into growing the family businesses, and found joy in every day that they spent together. Ray and Marilyn were soon blessed with three amazing sons, Michael, Mark, and Matthew.
Marilyn found many ways to fill her days. She spent 65 years attending the Adults in Christ couples class at Oak Hill Bible Fellowship, and 27 years teaching Sunday School. She worked for Citizens National Bank, ran the books for the family businesses (Replas and Matrixx), and planned more company Christmas parties than you could imagine. Outside of work and church, Marilyn loved to host her friends and family. Marilyn and Ray had a phenomenal group of friends. Friends with whom they celebrated holidays, birthdays, promotions, milestones, random Saturday luaus, and just about any other reason they could find to gather together. Marilyn spent 65 years playing bridge with her best girlfriends (some say they laughed a bit too much for just a few ladies playing bridge, but we’ll leave that story for another time).
Marilyn and Ray were surrounded by an amazing community of neighbors at their home in Cambridge Village. They attended countless golf outings, weddings, garage sales, graduations, baby showers, and birthday parties for their neighbors who naturally turned into family. That small piece of Evansville quickly became their pride and joy.
Marilyn was a woman of many trades, but above all else, there was no role she found more important than that of being a mother. Marilyn loved her family fiercely. She devoted herself to being a Christian role model for her sons to follow, and when that didn’t work, all she had to do was “snap her fingers”. Her love for her family only grew as she was blessed with her first grandchildren. Marilyn had six beautiful granddaughters, each one praying they would grow up to be “just like grandma”. She was a woman of class and integrity through and through.
Marilyn Louise Wright was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She was the very essence of compassion, devotion, beauty, and style. As Billy Graham profoundly said, “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” Marilyn’s legacy is one of that and so much more. She loved her God, family, friends, and neighbors well, and our lives are forever impacted because she was a part of it. We will continue to relive our precious memories with Marilyn on our darkest days for years to come.
Marilyn is survived by her husband Raymond Wright; her sons: Michael Wright (Debra), Mark Wright (Annette) and Matthew Wright (Diana); granddaughters: Chelsea Martin (Jerod), Chloe Horning (Andrew), Morgan, Merritt, Makenna, and Jessica Wright; great grandchildren: Sophia, Annabella, Liam and Samantha Martin, Rhodes Horning, and Weston Wright; sisters: Jane Brooks, Lynn Imes (Steve); nephews and nieces: Sonia Townsend, Bill, Ron and Julie Brooks, and Chris Imes. She was preceeded in death by her parents Welzie and Hildred Jackson; sister Barbara Petersen Pett; brother in laws William Petersen, Al Pett, and Gene Brooks; nephews Eric Petersen and Nick Imes.
Marilyn’s family would like to thank Shannon & Jeff Tovissi, Vickie Bishop and her team of amazing women, and Heart-to-Heart Hospice for the love and support they provided Marilyn throughout the past few years.
Marilyn’s family invites you to honor and celebrate her life on Thursday, August 5th at Oak Hill Bible Fellowship located at 1026 Oak Hill Rd, Evansville, IN. The visitation will begin at 10:00 am CT with the service to follow at 1:30 pm CT officiated by Pastors Eric Rawdon and Cliff Herring. Marilyn’s family asks that in lieu of flowers, you might donate to the ALS Association in her name, P.O. Box 37022, Boone, Iowa, 50037-0022.
