9/7/2023
Walter Wright was born in Newport, PA, the only child of Homer and Helen Wright. His parents loved to take him on car trips to historical or scenic destinations, instilling in him a passion for travel that became a focal point of his own future family. He also inherited musical talent from his father, a gifted violinist, and incredible artistic abilities from his mother.
As a high school student, he was the quarterback of the football team, a clarinetist in the band, and the editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper. Those accomplishments, coupled with his intelligence and beaming smile, clearly placed him in the category of a “catch”. One local mother, Mary Wilson, told her daughter Hazel that she should “make eyes” at him. While Hazel did not take that advice at the time, they did eventually begin to date during Walter’s freshman year at Penn State. They became husband and wife after graduation, and were inseparable for more than 66 years.
Walter used his degree in industrial engineering to work initially in the U.S. Patent Office in Washington D.C., then moved his young wife and new baby back to Pennsylvania to work for New Holland Machine Company. Years later, he achieved a lifelong dream when he became his own boss, becoming a self-employed technical illustrator, specializing in patent drawings of complicated machinery. By that time, Walter and Hazel had six children, and working from home enabled him to spend more time with the kids, whether it was playing frisbee, tossing a ball, or helping them to finish last-minute school projects. He and Hazel planned annual vacations to many beautiful locations throughout the United States, all on a shoestring budget, planning hikes at every stop and helping all the children perfect the art of skipping stones.
His engineering skills had their downside, particularly when learning to drive was accompanied by a detailed explanation with multiple sketches of exactly what function the clutch performed in a manual transmission car. He also demonstrated his attention to detail when his teenage children needed to drive anywhere, pulling out his trusted maps to walk them through the entire route turn by turn. Particularly with his children, he had endless patience and unlimited generosity.
When faced with an empty nest, Walter and Hazel became fearless world travelers, exploring Europe, South America, and even China. The only thing they enjoyed more than planning the next cruise was spending time with their children and grandchildren.
Walter’s patience and devotion to his family were evident when he and Hazel cared for their daughter, Karen, during her final months, and then again when he cared for his beloved Hazel during the many years she battled her illness. When she became a resident at Fairmount Homes, he visited her every single day, bringing her a daily treat of strawberries and peanut butter cups, and endearing himself to the staff and many residents, all of whom he knew by name.
He died peacefully at his home on September 7, 2023, at the age of 89. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Karen, and is survived by five children and thirteen grandchildren. He was survived by his wife, Hazel, until her recent death on May 16, 2024.
He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him, and remembered for his love of music and art, his deep religious faith, and for the kindness and respect he extended to everyone he met.
A memorial service will be held for both Hazel and Walter at Highland Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, PA on June 28th. The visitation will begin at 10:00 and the service will follow at 11:00. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Fairmount Sharing Fund of Fairmount Homes in Ephrata, PA, and the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.
The service will also be live-streamed with a link available on the home page of the church website (https://www.highlandpc.org/). You will also be able to view the service for 2 weeks after on the Highland Presbyterian YouTube channel.