Roy Edward Wright
February 20, 1938 - October 26, 2007

When you try to define the sort of person Roy Wright was to his family and friends, you imagine someone who is an all around good person, who loves his life and his family, who always makes himself available when he is needed. This is how Roy will be remembered, as a man whose heart was always full of love for the people who brought his life extraordinary joy.

1938 was a year of events and accomplishments. President Roosevelt signed the Fair Standards Act, calling for a minimum wage of 25 cents. Meanwhile, the country delighted in the release of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, and trembled in fear while listening to Orson Welles broadcast his infamous War of the Worlds on the radio. In the quiet, back hill town of Hurricane Mills, Tennessee (the current home of country singer, Loretta Lynn), Fred Wright and his wife, Harriet (Qualls), were focusing on something much more important and closer to home. On February 20, 1938, the couple welcomed the birth of a healthy baby boy, a son they named Roy Edward.

The middle of seven children, Roy grew up in the hillbilly countryside of Hurricane Mills in the company of his four sisters, Ima Jean, Madolene, Bonnie and Judy, and two brothers, C.N. and Jerry. Their father earned a living working for the State Road Commission, and the family lived in not much more than a big shack with a wrap around porch and rocking chairs. And there was no indoor plumbing either, which made Saturday night baths a bit nippy. Because they lived in a holler, Roy literally had to walk up hill both ways to school, though he left after the eighth grade; he felt by then he was smarter than the teacher.

Growing up, Roy was always very close with his brothers. They liked to hunt and fish together in their leisure time, but they also got into their fair share of mischief too. It seems Roy was a little stubborn when it came to doing his chores so his mom would chase him around the house with a broom, until he hid under the porch out of her reach. When he and his brothers were teenager and driving, they would sometimes borrow their fathers car without asking, or siphon his gas to put in their own car. Undoubtedly, they had plenty of great childhood memories to share with the family.

In 1957, at the age of 19, Roy left the holler to go live with his Aunt Loonie and Uncle Leslie in Muskegon, Michigan. Here, he was able to get a job as a general laborer at Sealed Power. Nonetheless, he was a hard, loyal worker and over his 33 years at Sealed Power, he worked his way up to a Millwright. Roy also became a stronger supporter and member of the UAW Local 437, and a firm Democrat too. In truth, Roy liked his work and had many good and lifelong friends among his fellow employees.

Roy found more than just a job in Muskegon. He soon became acquainted with a young lady named Joanne Burkall, who lived down the street and was friends with his cousin. The two began dating and enjoyed spending their time together at drive-in movies and playing cards with a gathering of family or friends. In 1960, Roy and Joanne tied the knot and became proud parents of four wonderful children: Cindy born in 1961, Sherrie in 1962, Rayleen in 1963, and Kevin in 1975. The family was members of the Wood Avenue United Methodist Church, where Roy was baptized the same day as his daughter Cindy. Time together as a family was always important to the couple, and they took many opportunities to go camping and fishing together on the Muskegon River, as well as to Canada, Drummond Island in the UP, Indiana and Kentucky. There were also many trips to Tennessee to visit Roys relatives. Roy also kept a trailer and mini bikes for some rough terrain riding and snowmobiles for wintertime fun in Fremont.

In 1979, Roys nineteen year marriage to Joanne ended in divorce. He then met Judy McCloskey at work, and after dating a while, they were married in 1981. Their marriage ended in 1988. Then one day, while at Grandpas Restaurant in Muskegon, Roy met a young waitress named Lisa Gundy. She was 20 years younger than him, yet despite the age difference, Roy and Lisa connected and began dating. He eventually moved in with Lisa and her young son, Andrew, who Roy loved as his own. In 1990, the two had a daughter together named Shauna, but Roy was adamant about not marrying Lisa until his son, Kevin, had graduated high school. Finally, in 1993, the couple was happily married and honeymooned in Tennessee.

Roy was a wonderful father to Andrew and Shauna. He loved them equally and unconditionally and made sure to tell them often with his saying I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. While Lisa worked at the restaurant, Roy filled the role of Mr. Mom, taking care of the children and supporting them in their school and sports activities; he was undoubtedly their #1 fan. Roy enjoyed spending time with them, fishing, four wheeling, and camping at Oak Knoll campgrounds near Big Blue Lake. He also taught Shauna to drive on the back roads in Tennessee. Sadly, Roy suffered a great loss in 2002, when his son, Andrew, was hit by a car while waiting for the school bus and died. This was a heartache that Roy never recovered from.

In his leisure time, Roy enjoyed several interests and hobbies. An avid fisherman, he had a 26 ft. boat called the Free Spirit that he did some salmon fishing with on Lake Michigan. And he sure loved sharing his catch with family and friends with a fish fry. He cooked the fish in a pot over an open fire, which he did for pig roasts too. Roy had a pole barn at his house, where he would work on cars, perhaps with an Atlanta Braves or Detroit Tiger game playing in the background; he was a die-hard fan of both teams. Roy was a very sociable guy and had many friends he enjoyed talking to, many times over a cup of coffee. (His daughters called this bullshitting). One of Roys favorite pastimes was going to the casinos to play the one-armed bandits, and somehow he always won.

Although Roys life was happy, it was also marked by a great battle. In 1999, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, and for several months thereafter, he underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Thankfully, Roy was able to beat this disease and fully recovered. For a couple years, he lived life to the fullest again until he was diagnosed with cancer in his lungs in 2002, and needed open heart surgery. Ready to fight, Roy faced rounds of chemo and radiation again and successfully won the battle. The lung cancer, however, came back in 2005, but he never lost faith and faced it with the same tenacity and determination as before. In August of this year, the family took one last trip to the casino in Mt. Pleasant, where they had a great time together. On Friday, October 26, 2007, Roy died in his home after a courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by the family he loved so dearly.

Although Roy will be dearly missed, his legacy of love and dedication leaves his loved ones with wonderful memories and a strong foundation to look to for comfort.

Roy is survived by his wife, Lisa; son, Kevin (Kay) Wright of Muskegon; 4 daughters: Cindy (Phil) Kowalski of Muskegon, Sherrie Wright of Twin Lake, Rayleen (Mel) Poindexter of Whitehall, Shauna Wright of Muskegon; 7 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren; 3 sisters & 1 brother, all in TN. He was preceded in death by a son, Andrew; his parents; and a brother & sister. Funeral services for Roy will be held on Tuesday, October 30, at 11:00 a.m. in the Clock Chapel at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon, with Pastor Ben Jansen officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Hackley Cancer Center. Please visit Roys memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with his family or sign his online guest book.

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