Margaret "Sug" Wright

Sug passed away peacefully at her home on February 11, 2011. She was born in Houston in 1918, to William and Margaret Ansley. Very early, her father nicknamed her “Sug” - short for Sugar, and she indeed brought that kind of joy and sweetness to everyone she encountered though her long and happy life. Services celebrating her life will be at 2:00 p.m., February 23, at Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, at Hillcrest and Spring Valley in Dallas, Texas. A reception will follow at the church.

Sug and her sister Pat, closest buddies, grew up in Abilene, Texas and graduated from Abilene High School. Because it was during the depression, they took mashed-potato sandwiches to school and shared dresses, but the wonderful friendships they made during those days at Abilene High have continued right to the present.

A few years later, a Yankee from Harvard moved to town. He didn't like black-eyed peas, but Sug loved him anyway. She married Keith Wright on Cinco de Mayo, May 5, 1940. Keith always noted that “it was the day the Mexicans won their independence, and I lost mine!” – and it's been the day of many happy family Fiestas ever since.

Sug and Keith lived happily in Abilene with their two children, Pat and Doug. They were active in civic affairs and in the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, where Sug was president of the Women's Guild. She was also a Cub Scout and Brownie Mom, and president of the Abilene Junior League, a true role model for her children. In their large backyard, she grew and tended beautiful flowers in the hard soil of West Texas.

When their children moved on to the University of Texas and then jobs and families in other cities, Sug and Keith lived a few years in Austin and San Antonio. Then they moved to Plano to be closer to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They lived happily together for 66 years till Keith's death at 95 in 2006.

After both her children went to the University of Texas at Austin, Sug was UT down to her toes. Even at 93, she never missed a televised Longhorn football, baseball, or basketball game, and she followed her favorite 'Horns into the pros. She was a fond Mom and Grandmom – keeping up with her son's family and building projects in El Paso, baking pecan pies to spoil her son-in-law, attending birthday parties, soccer games, tea parties, dance recitals – and delighting in them all. When her daughter ran for local office, she walked door-to-door, made speeches at her clubs, and drove her friends to the polls, then proudly watched every city meeting on cable TV while Keith watched Monday Night Football in the other room.

Sug continued her volunteer work and made wonderful friendships during her years in Plano. She was very active in the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and worked over 20 years at the church ClothesHorse. She loved her dear friends in the PEO Sisterhood, in her bridge groups, and at her home at Evergreen in Plano. Sug lived her life fully. She was fun and flexible, and thanked God daily for her life. She always had a smile, always thought first of others, and she loved and celebrated her friends and her family. And her family all agrees that we all want to grow up to be just like her.

Sug Wright is survived by her sister, Pat Moore, of Dallas; her brother- in-law, Wallace Wright, of Kerrville, Texas; daughter Pat Evans and husband Chuck of Plano; son Doug Wright and wife Cindy of El Paso; grandchildren Julie Wright Mattingly and husband Sean, Evan Wright May and husband Jim, Amanda Evans Grizzle, Emily Evans Bednarz and husband Jason, Andy Evans and wife Ezmer; great-grandchildren Bradley Mattingly, Ansley Grizzle, Emma Grizzle, Brooke Bednarz, Jack Bednarz, and Christian Evans; close and loved family members Dallas and John Crowder, Austin, Emmy, and Nathan; Mike and Leslie Moore; Niki and Frank Snidow, and Michael; Stacey and Glenn Tucker, Chase and Kaitlyn; Ashley and Lance Sloan, Caleb and Bryce; In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to PEO Sisterhood, 6904 Canyon Meadow Dr., Sachse, Texas 75048. The PEO chapter will be endowing a scholarship in Moms name.