1932
Billie
2023
Billie Ruth Wright
December 30, 1932 — September 22, 2023
Billie Ruth Nix Wright, 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 22, 2023, at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg, VA. She was the wife of the late Eugene F. (Gene) Wright.
Born in Nashville, GA, on December 30, 1932, Billie Ruth was the daughter of Willie B. Nix and Ava Gaskins Nix, who passed away when Billie Ruth was two years old. Her father married Evelyn Mathis, and they raised Billie Ruth together.
Billie Ruth and Gene were introduced by Gene’s sister Ann Wright Garretson in 1949 and were married in 1950 at the First Baptist Church of Nashville, GA, where she remained a member her entire life. As an Army wife, Billie Ruth managed her family while Gene was deployed to Korea and Vietnam and accompanied him to assignments in Virginia, Japan, Germany, and the Panama Canal Zone. Upon Gene’s retirement, they returned to Nashville, GA, where they spent the next 40 years.
Billie Ruth was a graduate of Nashville High School, and her life-long learning came from being an avid reader and her work experiences. She worked in various administrative positions with Gold Kist, the tobacco warehouse markets, and as a library assistant with Carrie Dorsey Perry Memorial Library. She and Gene also owned and operated Wright Pecan Company for 10 years.
Billie Ruth was a loving mother, who delighted in her children’s activities and provided encouragement and space for them to grow and come into their own. As a homemaker, she was known for her ability to prepare meals from the bounty of Gene’s gardens; and her door was always open to neighbors and friends and family. Billie Ruth was very active in her community, including her Radiant Sunday School class, the VFW women’s auxiliary, the local breast cancer awareness organization, and myriad community events. Three years following Gene’s death in 2013, she moved to Lynchburg, VA, to be closer to her daughter.
She is survived by her three children Richard Wright (Jan) of Savannah, GA; Bill Wright (Lynne) of Denver, CO; and Susan Barney (David) of Lynchburg, VA; her grandchildren Travis Wright, Justin Wright, Stephanie Schoop (Justin), Virginia Myers (Dustin), David Barney (Taylor), and Andrew Barney; and her great-granddaughters Austin and Dylan Schoop. She is survived by her brothers Emerson (Mattie) Nix and Wilson (Dee) Nix, her sister Gay Nix Glover, her sister-in-law Anita King Nix, and many nieces and nephews.
Billie Ruth was predeceased by her husband, brother Wendell (Sonny) Nix, sister Ava Lou Nix Kelley, and niece Greta Kelley Wright (Matthew).
The family would like to thank the Appalachian 4th Floor staff of Westminster Canterbury and Westminster at Home Hospice for their loving care over the last two years.
A celebration of life will take place later in Nashville, GA. Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory in Lynchburg, VA, is assisting the family. Memories and thoughts can be shared at www.tharpfuneralhome.com/obituaries.
Born in Nashville, GA, on December 30, 1932, Billie Ruth was the daughter of Willie B. Nix and Ava Gaskins Nix, who passed away when Billie Ruth was two years old. Her father married Evelyn Mathis, and they raised Billie Ruth together.
Billie Ruth and Gene were introduced by Gene’s sister Ann Wright Garretson in 1949 and were married in 1950 at the First Baptist Church of Nashville, GA, where she remained a member her entire life. As an Army wife, Billie Ruth managed her family while Gene was deployed to Korea and Vietnam and accompanied him to assignments in Virginia, Japan, Germany, and the Panama Canal Zone. Upon Gene’s retirement, they returned to Nashville, GA, where they spent the next 40 years.
Billie Ruth was a graduate of Nashville High School, and her life-long learning came from being an avid reader and her work experiences. She worked in various administrative positions with Gold Kist, the tobacco warehouse markets, and as a library assistant with Carrie Dorsey Perry Memorial Library. She and Gene also owned and operated Wright Pecan Company for 10 years.
Billie Ruth was a loving mother, who delighted in her children’s activities and provided encouragement and space for them to grow and come into their own. As a homemaker, she was known for her ability to prepare meals from the bounty of Gene’s gardens; and her door was always open to neighbors and friends and family. Billie Ruth was very active in her community, including her Radiant Sunday School class, the VFW women’s auxiliary, the local breast cancer awareness organization, and myriad community events. Three years following Gene’s death in 2013, she moved to Lynchburg, VA, to be closer to her daughter.
She is survived by her three children Richard Wright (Jan) of Savannah, GA; Bill Wright (Lynne) of Denver, CO; and Susan Barney (David) of Lynchburg, VA; her grandchildren Travis Wright, Justin Wright, Stephanie Schoop (Justin), Virginia Myers (Dustin), David Barney (Taylor), and Andrew Barney; and her great-granddaughters Austin and Dylan Schoop. She is survived by her brothers Emerson (Mattie) Nix and Wilson (Dee) Nix, her sister Gay Nix Glover, her sister-in-law Anita King Nix, and many nieces and nephews.
Billie Ruth was predeceased by her husband, brother Wendell (Sonny) Nix, sister Ava Lou Nix Kelley, and niece Greta Kelley Wright (Matthew).
The family would like to thank the Appalachian 4th Floor staff of Westminster Canterbury and Westminster at Home Hospice for their loving care over the last two years.
A celebration of life will take place later in Nashville, GA. Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory in Lynchburg, VA, is assisting the family. Memories and thoughts can be shared at www.tharpfuneralhome.com/obituaries.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Billie Ruth Wright, please visit our flower store.
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