When the extended Wright family gathered each Easter, they sang the old hymn "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder I'll be There". John is now "Up Yonder" to answer when his name is called. He died on October 22, 2023 in Austin Texas. He was born on April 16, 1929 on a farm near Jean in Young County, Texas to Ernest and Nora Wright, the youngest of their eight children. John spent his formative years as the son of a tenant farmer, helping to raise crops and farm animals. As he put it, "We were poor but didn't know it because so was everyone else." In high school he played basketball, football and ran track, graduating from Newcastle High School in 1946. While attending North Texas State University in Denton, he became much better acquainted with a girl from Archer City, Leta Jean Key, whom he had met on summer break. Love blossomed and they soon married, a marriage that would last 74 years. They had two sons, Gene and Tom. John's professional career took the family to many locations through the years, including Archer City, Denver, Wichita Falls, San Antonio, Bedford, Pampa, Boston, Salt Lake City, Fort Worth, Tulsa, and Richland Hills, Texas. He worked in human resources for Martin-Marietta, Ling Temco Vought, Cabot, Northwest Pipeline, Standard Meat Company, Williams Pipeline, and Crane Carrier Corp. John's main focus in life was not his career, it was his family and his commitment to Jesus. No matter how far away he lived, he made sure that his family was back in Archer City and Olney to gather with extended family on all of the holidays. He was a Deacon in multiple Baptist Churches and was active in the Baptist Disaster Relief programs and the Baptist Men's Building program. He taught Sunday Schools, was a leader for his sons' Boy Scout and Little League Baseball organizations. He was the "preacher" for those Wright family Easter gatherings, read his bible daily, and prayed to his Lord Jesus.

He is survived by his wife Leta, his son Gene and wife Lynn, their daughter Christie McNeill and husband Lance, his son Tom Wright and significant other Kathlene Winfrey, two grandchildren Emilianna and Declan, and one surviving sister, Leah Graber.

Funeral Services will be directed by Aulds Funeral Home of Archer City Texas. Services will be held at First Baptist Church of Archer City on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 2:00 pm . Burial will follow at the Archer City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Archer City Cemetery Foundation, Box 198, Archer City, Texas, 76351