Forrest English Wright passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on April 6, 2024 at the age of 96. Forrest was born on April 10, 1927 in South Gate, CA. He grew up in Los Angeles and attended John C. Fremont High School. Although he graduated from high school in the spring of 1945, he missed his commencement because he had been drafted into the U.S. Navy and was in basic training. Growing up, he rode the Pacific Electric ‘Red Cars’ from Los Angeles to Long Beach to play at the beach. His earliest childhood memory was the Long Beach Earthquake of 1933, which damaged part of his home on Converse Ave. He also enjoyed walking to the neighborhood movie theater with his grandfather, and visiting his family’s mountain cabin in Crestline, CA. As a child of the Great Depression, he learned to appreciate whatever food was available, but he especially liked spaghetti and meatballs.
After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1946, Forrest used his training as a radio technician to get an entry level job with Pacific Bell Telephone Company in downtown Los Angeles. He transferred to San Francisco in 1963 and then to Sacramento in 1966. Over the course of a nearly 40 year career with the company, he steadily advanced to positions of greater responsibility, ultimately rising to the District Manager level in the Watt Avenue office in Sacramento, CA. He witnessed and participated in the remarkable growth of the telecommunications industry in the post-WWII years.
Forrest said that the most valuable lesson he learned from his parents was the importance of good manners and hard work. Anyone who knew him would agree with this. When he retired from the telephone company, he began a 21 year career as a non-paid volunteer with the Senior Gleaners Food Bank of Sacramento. He used to joke that he spent more days and longer hours working in the food bank than he did at the phone company. As was typical with him, he began at the lowest level and eventually became the top manager in the organization.
At the same time, he was also very active in the Carmichael Elks Lodge. He became a founding member of the ‘Traveling Elks’ recreational vehicle club, which publishes a national directory of camping locations at Elks Lodges across the United States. . Forrest was also a long time member of the Sacramento area Sons In Retirement (SIRS) club, where he participated in many club activities. This included playing in the weekly SIRS bowling league up until February of 2024.
In 2023, when he moved out of his Sacramento home of 56 years to live in the assisted living unit at Eskaton Village Carmichael, he continued to remain active in his community. He served as the liaison between the residents and the managers/operators in giving feedback on food service and other daily activities.
Throughout Forrest’s many years of volunteerism his wife, Muriel, was at his side working as hard as he did on these projects. However, they both also found time to travel on ocean cruises, Hawaiian vacations, as well as long trips throughout the U.S. in their travel trailer. Forrest also loved fishing. He took several trips to remote cabins on the Snake River in Idaho where he could be in the peace and quiet of the wilderness - although one time, after a particularly successful day of fishing and night of partying, he and his friends were asked to keep the noise down if they wanted to remain as guests of the cabin! When he wasn’t working or traveling, Forrest was busy baking cookies or making homemade candy for family and friends.
Forrest was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Muriel A. Wright (d. 2022). He is survived by his two sons, Steven Wright (wife, Karen) and Jeffery Wright (wife, Joanna), 5 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and 5 nephews.
At his request, Forrest will be cremated and there will be a private graveside service at Mount Vernon Memorial Park and Mortuary in Fair Oaks, CA (date TBD).
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