Alan Jay Wright

Alan Jay Wright of Los Osos, who was known as Al or AJ by his friends or “Albert” when his wife, Annette, really needed his attention, passed from this Earth on March 1, 2017. Born November 5, 1951 to Earl William Wright Sr. and hazel Wright in Kingsburg, AL, was raised a fan of the San Francisco 49ers and kept that loyalty until his passing. After graduation from Kingsburg High School, Al obtained his AA degree at Fresno City College. He joined the US Air Force in July 1974 and was an aircraft maintenance specialist for four years before cross-training as an in-flight refueling operations technician, a boom operator. He was an aircrew instructor for five years before his discharge in 1983. He told everyone who asked what his job was to “lie on his stomach, fly backwards, and pass gas.” He loved to fly. Al met Annette Hepner in April 1974 and they were married in September of that year at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, IL. They enjoyed 42 years of wedded bliss. Daughter Jessica Marie was born in 1980. Al caught the racing bug on a go kart as a youngster. He then followed that thrill of speed by drag racing down an old country road in his favorite first car, a canary yellow ’57 Chevy, and then his red ’69 Chevelle. After moving to Los Osos, he upped the ante to race hobby stock cars and then onto an open wheeled modified IMCA car on dirt tracks in Hanford and Santa Maria Speedways. He was in the process of building his dream hotrod. Restoring a 1928 Ford Model A, he chopped the top, gutted it, and rebuilt it from the bottom up, piece by piece. Even in retirement, he was still going for speed! He was affectionately known as Daddy, Al, Uncle Al, Moses, and Grandpa “Owl” by friends of Jessica, their children, and his golfing and fishing buddies. Al loved traveling, fishing, golfing, NASCAR, lunch on Wednesdays with his former co-workers from Knecht’s as well as the occasional casino visit. In addition to Annette and Jessica, he is survived by brother Earl Wright Jr. and wife, Vicki, of Clovis, sister Kathy Ruiz and her husband, Frank, of Kingsburg, brother Larry Wright and wife, Marilyn, of Kingsburg, step-father Robert Maier, also of Kingsburg, Nick Lester of Los Osos, and many family and friends.