Willie G. Wright, Jr.

Willie Gene Wright was born on December 7, 1949 to Willie Gene Wright, Sr. and Susie Curien (Duncan) Wright. At a young age, Willie lived in the West End, went to Lafayette Bloom Elementary. After his father passed in 1957, the family moved to the Evanston neighborhood.

He found Christ at an early age and joined Revelation Baptist Church and Greater New Life Baptist Church, where he would attend, on and off. Willie went to Hoffman Elementary, then to Sawyer Junior High, graduating from Withrow High School in 1968.

As a kid, he sold Jet magazines and worked at Howdy’s Car Wash as a teenager. After high school, Willie got a job at General Electric working as a janitor. He was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, joining the Air Force where he was a military police officer. He did a tour in Germany and he loved it there. After an honorable dis-charge, he returned to G.E. who held his job for him. While at G.E., he got an Associate Degree in Psychology from Southern Ohio College. He worked his way up to working on engines. After 38 years of employment (I’m tired of getting up and working), he finally retired on October 31, 2007.

Willie was a Mason for a while, then left the lodge. He loved music and had a huge library of albums, tapes and eight tracks. He loved playing his shortwave radio, listening to what was going on in other countries. He started cooking the holiday dinners and we looked forward to it. He loved taking pictures; a fan of beer, he loved drinking it; he was a big sports fan; he loved the outdoors; and he loved dogs, especially his German Shepherd, Bear. To his family he was known as June. He was quiet and would stay to himself. He had a very big heart.

He leaves behind: sister, Gloria Ann Wright; brothers, Thomas Lee (Kimothy) Wright, Robert (Diane) Wright and Ronald Lee Wright; niece, Tamara Wright; nephews, Robert Wright II and Thomas L. Wright II; great nephews, Thomas, Juliano and Julian; great nieces, Regan, Taylor and Kimbella; and a host of family and friends.

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