James A Wright

Born July 28, 1922, to Arthur Alonzo Wright and Isabella Campbell Wright in Rockfish North Carolina, James embarked on an incredible journey of life—one devoted to service of family, country, and many friends for more than 100 years.

He attended Raeford High School in Hoke County, NC, where he achieved excellence as both a student and as an athlete on the high school boxing team.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, James felt a calling to the defense of his country, as did so many patriotic young men. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. With great courage and determination, he served in the Pacific Theatre as a rifle marksman and mortar crewman. His combat assignments placed him on the battlefields of Tinian, Saipan and Iwo Jima, among others. Though a proud Marine always, he detested the horrors of war and ultimately viewed the success of his service as a necessary effort in furtherance of his hope to prevent of future wars.

Following his Honorable Discharge from the Marine Corps in 1945, he returned home and enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. James graduated from UNC, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1951. During his studies there, he met and married the love of his life—Muriel Anne Brownson. They were happily wed on June 13, 1949. He was a devoted husband and father to their three children as they made their life together for the next 56 years, until she passed away in November 2005.

While spending time in Raleigh after graduation, James became interested in emerging concepts for urban development and redevelopment. He returned to Chapel Hill and earned his Masters Degree in City Planning in 1957, which led to a professional career spanning more than 40 years.

During his early career, he worked with planning, zoning, and engineering consulting firms contracting with various municipal governments including Cincinnati, Ohio; Toronto, Canada;

Hickory, North Carolina; and Columbus, Georgia. Notably, he was a part of the consulting team for the phased completion of the Metro Toronto Gardiner Expressway.

In 1962, James became the Director of the Planning and Zoning Department for the City of Birmingham. In that role, he led the task force for the development of a long-term Master Plan for Birmingham and the greater Metropolitan area, including municipalities and unincorporated communities.

In 1977, he joined the Alabama Development Office, a division of the Alabama state government, where he worked to develop and implement the plan to reduce flood hazards throughout the state. He retired from that position in 1992.

A man of strong Christian faith, James kept his Bible next to his recliner, a gift to him from his children more than 50 years earlier—its yellowed pages a source of consolation and shelter from the turbulence and storms of life. He found both comfort and strength in the power of prayer. He understood Christ’s teaching of forgiveness, both given and received. He was resolute, unwavering in his belief.

One of the great inspirations in life for both James and Muriel was Mrs. Billie Ruth Prewitt, a strong Christian woman who became a family member. Family wasn’t just defined by blood relationships for James. Billie—or “BB” as she was known to us—provided nurturing love and spiritual guidance to our family for the better part of 60 years.

James also had a great sense of humor. He was an avid dog lover, and over the years he was guardian to many four-legged companions. He agreed with Andy Rooney who said, “The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.”

He was also an avid sports fan. The eldest member of the Birmingham Carolina Club, he enjoyed the camaraderie of UNC alumni of all ages, cheering the Tar Heels through so many seasons. And, of course, the Crimson Tide.

He loved art, literature, and poetry, and he was among the original members of the Continental Poetry Society founded by dear friend Ann Lee. He astonished everyone at one of the early meetings reciting Chaucer. From memory. In dialect.

And he loved music. All kinds. From Tchaikovsky to Glen Miller to Jazz and even modern music. He kept “Clapton Unplugged” in the CD player in his car.

James loved cars. His experience with automobiles was largely a reflection of almost the entirety of automotive history. Not surprisingly, considering his life span, there has been a parade of personal and family automobiles from essentially every decade in his driveways & garages, beginning with his very first car, a Model A Ford. They were all special to him, particularly the 1958 Rocket 88 Oldsmobile, the first “new” car he ever purchased. He loved father and son Sunday drives and automotive outings with the local car club, which he enjoyed up to the last month of his life, even though he was no longer able to drive himself.

Most important was his love for his family. He was a doting grandfather and great grandfather. He rarely missed a baseball, basketball, or football game or horse show where grand children were competing or cheerleading. And the finger paintings of the toddlers were masterpieces to him. He loved everyone in his family deeply and celebrated all their accomplishments as if they were his own. He exemplified traits of strong work ethic, moral character and leadership. He was the family patriarch in the truest sense.

Over the last few decades of his life, he surrounded himself with friends, primarily those who are “regulars” at the Continental Bakery—an eclectic group with varying opinions on topics such as sports, politics, and other current events. He always found those discussions intellectually stimulating. These good people became his closest friends in the twilight years of his life and indeed an extended family of sorts.

He was honored by all of them on his 100th birthday and by a contingent of the United States Marine Corps veterans as well as a proclamation from the Mayors of Birmingham, Mountain Brook, and Hoover for his many friendships and his service to his community and country.

He was admired by all who knew him; loved beyond measure by his family and many others. He will be missed greatly, but he has left a legacy that will endure for all who were close to him. For that, we are grateful.

He is survived by his three children, Michael Kevin Wright, Marjorie Belle Wright Kasperski (Jerry) and Donald Arthur Wright (Alesia); his grandchildren, Laura Kathryn Wright, Michael Linton Wright (Louise), Sarah Ellen Wright Ray (Tyler), and Benjamin Arthur Wright; great grandchildren, Jackson Young Ray, Barrett Wilkes Ray, and Lyle Rowan Pietruszewski Wright.

A memorial service will be held on September 5, 2024, at St. Mary’s On the Highlands Episcopal Church commencing at 12:05 PM with visitation to follow in the church Living Room.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that donations be made to the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB and/or the Parkinson’s Association of Alabama.