Don Wright

Don Leo Wright passed into eternal rest Friday, February 22, 2013. He was born March 20, 1928, in Encino , New Mexico, to Leo and Jewel (Whinery) Wright. His early life provided the opportunity for him to experience many areas of New Mexico following his dad's Santa Fe railroad job transfers. Along the way he also picked up some ranching skills and played football in high school, riding those same rail lines traveling to away games with his team. Don attended and graduated from Eastern New Mexico College in Portales, New Mexico, where he met and married Dorothy Maddoux in 1950. As he finished school he followed his calling into the ministry and began preaching in Ft. Sumner and other New Mexico Southern Baptist churches. Don and Dorothy soon moved to Pinole, California, where Don completed seminary training and served as pastor. He continued his ministry in LaVeen, Arizona, and then started a church in North Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1965. He served in many positions on the board of the Arizona Baptist Foundation and the Nevada Baptist Fellowship. He also worked as a parochial school principal and substitute teacher, as well as owning an ice cream shop for a few years, much to the delight of his grandsons. Don and Dorothy bought property in Pine Valley, Utah, where they helped design and had their dream log home built. There they retired and enjoyed gardening, traveling and even "adopting" some stray cats. Following Dorothy's death in 2002 Don remarried Elizabeth (Betsy) Radford who cared for him in the difficult years of his declining health. Don is survived by his wife, Betsy; his daughter and son-in-law, Denise (Wright) and Ermano Siri of Reno, Nevada; grandsons: Sean of Reno; Nigel and Dylan of San Bruno, California; Jesse and his wife Kati of Sparks, Nevada; great-granddaughter Gabbi Siri and newly-born (2/26/13) great-grandson Nico Anthony Siri.