Gregory Phillip Wright

They lived in Roseburg, OR and eventually moved to Grants Pass, OR. A few years later, they adopted again and he was big brother to Kathy Wright-Estes (husband Doug Estes). He attended Grants Pass High School and graduated in 1972. He met his late wife, Debi Ricks, who also attended GPHS and their lives together began. Married in 1973, they had their first child, Todd, and moved to Gold Beach, OR, where he proudly began his career with the Oregon State Police. Two years later, Greg and Debi delivered a daughter into their family, Staci, and soon the Wright family was living in Klamath Falls, OR. Later, they relocated to Central Point, OR, and Greg became a Detective for OSP. Greg and Debi were active in golfing, snowmobiling, boating, avid NASCAR fans, traveling and enjoyed all of this with lots of friends. Greg played basketball, softball, racket ball, league bowling and tennis. In May of 2003, Greg and Debi moved into their dream home (Greg actually designed their new home). Sadly, Debi was diagnosed with Melanoma of the brain in September of 2003 and passed away February 2004. Greg retired from OSP in 2004.

Now Our Journey Begins

Greg and I met August 12, 2004, at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes. In the lounge! I had just arrived in Bend, tired from a long drive. I was sitting at the bar and chatting with a gentleman two seats down from me when this long leg came up and over the stool and their sat the most handsome man I had ever seen! I will say I was kind of shocked that this huge man had just interrupted the conversation I was having, when he asked me what I was doing there. My answer to him was “As a matter of fact, I’m on my way to Eugene to put on my bio-parents 50th wedding anniversary.” His reply was “Really. I was adopted too.” And that was it! We haven’t gone one day since that night without talking to each other!

That night we danced, laughed and shared our life stories while sitting by the Deschutes River. At one point, we drove up through this subdivision to a spot high above the city of Bend and found ourselves sitting on the back of the Tahoe. The night sky was filled with the moon and stars as we shared our stories. He took me back to my motel, leaving me with his business card and his contact numbers written on the back and told me to call him on Sunday when I was coming back through Bend to head home. This is when Greg learned that I’m not real good at following instructions. That whole weekend, while helping with the anniversary party, I couldn’t stop thinking about this man that I had just met….was he real or a dream. He was both!

Sunday finally came and when I got to Bend, I stopped at the Riverhouse Motel and asked the clerk at the front desk if Greg was still there. She said he had checked out that morning. I turned around, got back into my car and thought “I guess he was just a dream.” I was about two miles out of Bend when I remembered his business card with the phone numbers on the back. I promptly pulled over to the side of the highway and called his cell. I don’t think it even rang once. He picked up, asked me where I was and when I said I was heading out of town he replied “Why didn’t you call? I gave you my business card with my phone numbers. Turn around and meet me at the Riverhouse.” Now I can tell you, my little Miata skidded in the gravel and it was pedal-to-the metal to get back to the Riverhouse! I was sitting in the lounge when through the doors this big, beautiful man entered the room. Covered in dirt from playing softball, he walked over, sat down, and the conversation started up again. (He always said that when he walked into the lounge that day, there was a sunbeam coming through the windows, shining over me and that I looked like an angel. Really! He said that!) It came time for me to get back on the road and as he walked me back to my car (while getting my license plate number to run later which he later said he never did), we had decided that we wanted to stay in contact with each other. As I drove through the canyons of Eastern Oregon and listening to Cher on my stereo, the butterflies in my stomach were about the size of pterodactyls. The following six weeks were amazing! Greg told his mom that he had met someone he wanted to be with because we had “so much in common”. Maryann asked “Does she golf?” Greg replied “No”. Maryann then asked “Does she snowmobile?” Again Greg’s reply was “No”. But as it turned out, we did have a lot in common once I learned how to golf (uff-dah, that golf is damn tough!) and even though he tried to kill me on my first snowmobile ride, I did fall in love with snowmobiling.

He came to see me in Bend the next weekend; flew me up to Seattle, where he introduced me to he and Debi’s lifelong friends and flew me here to Central Point for a whirlwind week. We spent time at the beach and Lake Tahoe. Our drive home from Lake Tahoe was quiet as we were both in deep thought about our future. If there even was a future. He finally said “Candy, what do you want to do with this relationship?” It took a moment (Ok, five seconds) and I told him I wanted to pursue this relationship. And he agreed! Two weeks later, he drove over to Bend and got me. My co-workers stood outside as we left and serenaded us with “From This Moment” by Shania Twain. And now our beautiful life together had begun!

It was a leap of faith for both of us but as I got closer to what was to be “our” home, I knew everything was going to be ok.

Our blended family includes: Greg’s son Todd and wife Erin; parents to Kaden, Logan, Mason and TJ. Dave Lacombe and wife Katherine; Dave’s daughter’s Alexis and Olivia; Katherine’s son Dakota, and daughter’s Sierra and Shasta. Candy’s daughter Heidi and life partner Jamie; parents to Lane. Son Ryan and wife Aili; parents to son’s Rylee and Fisher and daughter’s Shailia and Kynlee.

It’s now that I would like say that all of Greg and Debi’s friends and family accepted me from the very beginning of which I am so grateful. Greg is finally out of his pain and I know that he and Debi are dancing in Heaven and because of that and I know that when my time on earth is done, he will be waiting for me. I am at peace. So for one last time Greg aka Baby, “Woo-who!”