Today’s “Meet Our Family” highlights my father, James Patrick Wright (1925), the first born of the Jack Wright Family. He grew up in the pictured home on State Street in Larksville, surrounded by family who he loved very much. He left school (like many others had) in his senior year to serve in the US Navy during World War II. My grandmother went on stage to receive his diploma during graduation.He served on the USS Harrison, a destroyer, and saw a lot of combat. Like so many other young men, he grew up quickly during that time and, I’m sure, lost a lot of innocence.He married my mother, Mary Jane Lucas, who also lived in Larksville and they had three children – Mary, John and Ann. They had a good marriage, a rocky marriage and then no marriage. It happens.He worked in the breaker for all the years I can remember and when the mines were slow, he worked on the township trucks treating icy roads and the like. As I’m writing this, I realize I know very little about all he did. If you know more, I’d love to hear it. My mother worked various dress factories as a presser – not an easy job at all, but she never complained about it.My dad, I am told, was a good athlete. I used to watch him play softball for Ermak’s on the Orchard Street field and I hear he was a really good dart player. What he most enjoyed in the world was spending time with his buddies – Phil, Chooch, Jacko, his brother John – so many others. When times got hard for him he would say “let’s sing”.He died much too young at 50 years old. My mother lived until she was 76.Do you have any memories to share? We’d love to hear them.
The Wright Family
May God Bless Us All
