James Robert Wright, Jr. – January 2, 2002
Editor’s Note: Some of our classmates passed away prior to the creation of Yale1969.org and, therefore, never received any “In Memoriam” reports or tributes here. This information was submitted by Dov Ospovat’s widow, Claudia Ospovat (Leopold).
If you have information (and preferably some pictures) of classmates who died prior to 2017, feel free to submit the information here, and I’ll post it.
James R. Wright, Jr. was born November 30, 1946 in Stillwater, Oklahoma to James Robert “Bob’ and Audie Ruth Brown Wright. He began school in Cheyenne, Oklahoma, and moved to Clinton when he was in the fifth grade. He graduated from Clinton High School in 1965.
He played baseball for Yale University, where he graduated in 1969. He worked as a sports writher for The Norman Transcript while attending law school at the University of Oklahoma.
Upon receiving his degree, he began practicing law in Cheyenne, Oklahoma. He opened his Clinton practice in 1976. He continued going to his Cheyenne office two days a week for his entire career. He was an active member of the Custer County Bar Association and of state and national legal organizations. He was a past chariman of the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Committee. He was on the board of directors of the Farmers Union Cooperative Royalty Company. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves. He was a member of the First Methodist Church in Clinton, where he served as a lay leader, choir member and past president of the Board of Trustees.
Jim Bob played football, basketball, and baseball for the Clinton Red Tornadoes. He played American Legion baseball. Attending high school sports events in Clinton was a special passion. He enjoyed coaching Little League baseball teams and attending sports events at OU and OSU. His great pleasure in life was getting out in the country to enjoy nature. He loved to fly fish for trout in northern New Mexico and to hunt bobwhite quail in western Oklahoma.
Jim Bob died on Sunday, January 20, 2002, while quail hunting with friends near Cheyenne.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his mother-in-law, Mary Ford. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Ford Wright, and two daughters, Lauren and Rachel, of Clinton.
Memorial services for James R. Wright, Jr., were held on Wednesday, January 23, 2002, at 3:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Rev. Larry King officiated. Arrangements were under the direction of Kiesau Marler Funeral Home, Clinton, Oklahoma.
The family request memorial donations be made to your favorite charity.
from: https://www.okcemeteries.net/custer/clinton/wrightjrobit.html
James R. Wright, Jr.
© Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK
Submitted by: Wanda Purcell