Frank Robert Wright

Frank Robert Wright died on March 6, 2020 at the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Roanoke. He was born on November 22, 1925, in Virginia City (now St. Paul), Virginia.  He was preceded in death by his parents Charles Q. and Malva Buchanan Wright, by his wife Jean Colinger Wright, and by ten siblings, of whom he was the youngest.  Frank is survived by a son, Frank A. (“Jimmy”) Wright, Sr. and his wife Mary Louise, by a grandson, Frank A. Wright, Jr., and his wife Kristin, and by two great-grandsons, Frank Austin Wright III and Matthew Robert Wright.

During World War II, Frank served in the United States Navy on the USS Tabberer, a destroyer escort deployed in the Pacific.  He saw combat in numerous engagements including Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and participated in the rescue of over fifty servicemen from the ocean during the fearsome Halsey’s Typhoon.  After his discharge from the Navy, Frank worked in the trucking and warehousing industry in Lynchburg until his retirement, serving as a district manager.

Frank was a kind, gentle man who loved people and smiled easily.  During more than 65 years of marriage, he was absolutely devoted to his wife Jean; he never stopped looking at her with the eyes of a teenager experiencing first love.  He rarely missed attending sporting and academic events of his son, grandson, and great-grandsons.  Frank loved country music, making numerous trips to Gatlinburg and Nashville to see shows; he enjoyed singing and picking Hank Williams tunes on his Hummingbird guitar.  Summer evenings often saw him covered in red dirt from working his large garden to raise the best butter beans and tomatoes in Campbell County.  As an avid sports fan, Frank sometimes kept up with three football games simultaneously, running back and forth between his television, home radio, and car radio.

The family would like to express their deep appreciation to Frank’s nieces, Wanda C. Rosser, Brenda W. Bryant, and Deborah W. Weinfurtner, who knew he was a special person and gave him loving support.  The staff of the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Roanoke deserves special mention for providing Frank outstanding care during his last years.

The family request that due to the Coronavirus that a Graveside Service will be held instead, on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at White’s United Methodist Church Cemetery in Rustburg. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Those wishing to make memorial donations should consider the Veterans Services Foundation, James Monroe Building, 101 North 14th Street, 17th Floor, Richmond, Virginia 23219.  Please state that the donation is intended to benefit the Virginia Veterans Care Center in Roanoke.    

 Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.