Lisa Lynne Lisa Lynne Thomas Wright

Lisa Lynne Thomas Wright, age 53 of Dallas, Texas, passed away June 18, 2012 at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, TN, having suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm while traveling. Lisa was born at Oak Ridge Methodist Hospital November 22, 1958 to Joe and Wanda Thomas of Norris, Tennessee. She grew up with her brothers, Dan and Lee, and many childhood friends in Norris. Lisa enjoyed playing piano, guitar, and banjo, and was an excellent student. She was active in the Methodist Youth Group and several school organizations including American Field Service (AFS) in which she became the host sister to Heidi Baenziger of Switzerland for a year. Lisa graduated from Norris High School in 1976 and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. While at UTK she met her future husband, Joe Wright, in 1977. Having graduated, they were married in Morristown on June 12, 1980. Lisa and Joe moved to Dallas, TX that same year where Lisa attended graduate school at Southern Methodist University and eventually completed her Master of Science degree in Psychology. She remained an avid fan of UT Football and traveled with Joe to many games. Lisa was successful in everything she tried. She and Joe founded and built a successful computer training company called Brain Trainers, which was eventually sold. She turned to software development and advanced to hold leadership positions in various organizations, including Vice President of Technology & Operations at Telequip. Dance lessons, initially an anniversary gift for Lisa, propelled Joe into competitive dancing. Although Lisa declined to compete, she was Joe’s biggest fan and was very proud of him each time he performed. Lisa continued to enjoy her music and she developed a passion for photography and paper arts. She demonstrated such skill and creativity in her original greeting cards that she was selected amongst stiff competition to join the Heartfelt Creations Design Team. Many family and friends who have received her cards have little doubt as to why she was selected. She took great joy in these special gifts for everyone and maintained a blog online (www.craftgreetings.com), providing hints and directions on the tools, materials, and techniques she used to create them. Her skills and artistry as well as her warm, generous, vibrant personality were recognized and admired by her teammates and anyone who visited her blog or was the beneficiary of a workshop. Lisa is survived by her husband of 32 years, Joe D. Wright of Dallas, TX; parents Joe and Wanda Thomas, brother Dan Thomas (Jan), and uncle Mark Grim all of Norris; brother Lee Thomas (Judy), nephews Harrison and Taylor Thomas (Megan), niece Morgan Thomas, and grandnieces Chloe Mize and Lily Thomas, all of Chattanooga; nephew Tom Carberry of New York; aunt Eva Grim of Sevierville; cousins Mary Anne Koepple (Scott) of Tallahassee, FL; Margaret McMahan (Tom) of North Wilkesboro, NC; David Grim (Kathy) of Knoxville; Paul Grim of Sevierville; Joe Thomas (Kim) of St.Louis, MO; and Larry Arnold (Debbie) of Richland, WA; her father- and mother-in-law Charles Wright (Carolyn); sisters-in-law Janet Wright and Wanda Shepherd (Randy), brother-in-law Ron Wright, and nephews Lucas Wright and Chris Shepherd all of Morristown. The family would like to thank Lisa’s special friend Karen Fox (Tim) of Nashville for her tireless vigil, invaluable support of Lisa’s husband and family while in Nashville, and coordination of arrangements for Lisa. A memorial service will be held at the United Methodist Church in Norris on Saturday, June 23rd. The family will receive friends starting at 3:00 p.m. with the service to follow. The Reverend Wayne Hedrick will officiate. Lisa’s ashes will remain in Dallas. The family requests contributions be made to the Tennessee Donor Services (tds.dcids.org) at Tennessee Donor Services, 1600 Hayes Street, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203, ATTN: Family Care Department; or to Norris United Methodist Church, 62 Ridgeway, Norris, TN 37828.

In loving memory, My wife and friend, Lisa Lynne Thomas Wright was taken off life support Friday night at 10:34 and rested peacefully until her passing June 18th at 5:07. Lisa was a beautiful person with a wonderful giving sprit and will be missed dearly by her friends, family, and all the people she touched in her life.

Lisa and I met in college in October 1977 and were married June 12th 1980, two days after we graduated from the University of Tennessee. After a brief honeymoon, we moved to Dallas Texas for Lisa to start Graduate School at SMU and to begin our married life together. Lisa completed her Masters in Psychology, and was only a few credit hours short of obtaining her MBA.

Over the last 32 years we had a wonderful life together. Lisa had so many wonderful friends and I feel honored not only to be her husband, but her dear friend. She loved making greeting cards and sending them to the people she cherished. She always remembered everyone on their special day and sent them beautiful hand made cards to mark the occasion. I will continue to honor that tradition as best I can.

Lisa loved taking pictures and took many photography trips. I loved all the great pictures she took and I have beautiful memories of the trips we took together, as evidenced by those beautiful pictures. She loved going to UT football games, especially the SEC championship games and the National Championship game which we saw together. Spending time on Cherokee Lake in Morristown was also one of her favorite activities, as it reminded her of the happy times she spent on Norris Lake growing up.

Lisa supported me in everything I did, had unwavering faith in me, and loved me unconditionally. She got me started dancing, supported my dancing completely, and was my biggest fan. I loved how she always bragged to all her friends about what a great dancer I was. She was so proud of me for doing the things I loved in life. I could do no wrong in her eyes and she never wanted me to be anyone except who I was. Lisa was the best wife anyone could ever ask for.

Lisa was one of the most unselfish people I have ever known. So much of her own happiness was derived from the happiness she brought to other people. God knows, she brought so much love and happiness into my life. I loved her dearly and was so very proud of her for the way she handled everything in her life with such dignity and grace.

I always knew how much she loved me, she never failed to show me with her actions or tell me with her words. And now I pray each day that she knew how much I loved her, admired her, and respected her. I was so proud of her for being selected to be on the HeartFelt Creations design team, and of all her many accomplishments, that was the one she prized most. The other was the two of us building Brain Trainers together. This was the company we started and that she was President of for 8 years.

I will miss her terribly, but each day I will do my best to carry on. I know this is what she would have wanted for me. She always said she wanted to be more like me, although I don't know for the life of me why. I will spend the rest of my life trying to be more like her. Being a kinder, nicer, more caring person, actually being the way she always saw me, but it will be hard and I have to admit, I'm not off to the best of starts.

I would like to thank all the people in her life who enriched her life with their presence. She so appreciated and loved you all. To all her friends and co-workers at ETCC, and all the previous companies she worked at, Thank You from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to the Diva's and thanks to her HeartFelt Creations design team friends, her blog followers, and all her friends who loved making cards with her, thanks to her high-school buddies and my HS buddies who befriended her. Thanks to her family for their love and support and thanks to mine for welcoming her into our family. Thanks to everyone who brought happiness and joy to her life. I love you all for making her life what she wanted it to be by filling each day she lived with love and joy.

If Lisa touched your life in some way and you would like a memento of hers, please let me know, as It would be an honor and a privilege to share something of her's with you. I know that is what Lisa would have wanted. And I have one favor to ask of you. If anyone has pictures of Lisa, I would really appreciate it if you could post them on face book or get a copy to me.

Lisa and I didn't share a lot of our private life together on FaceBook. To all Lisa's friends, I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better. To my friends, I'm sorry you didn't get the chance to know Lisa better. Over the next few months, I would like to share some pictures and stories of our 35 years together, so please check her page or mine if you would like to share in my memories of Lisa They say Grief is the price we pay for loving someone , If that is true, then I have a enormous debt to pay. Goodbye my love. I will miss you.

While official documents may show Lisa's death to be 6/18/2012, I'll always know in my heart Lisa died passed Sunday night around 10;00 pm on 6/10/2012 with Karen Fox holding her head and me by her side.