George Bryant Wright Sr.

“How ‘bout it, how ‘bout it?” or “Hey baby, how ya doin’?” were his usual greetings to both friends and strangers. When you heard those words and heard his voice, a smile could not be denied. On August 4, 2019, George joined his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and his beautiful bride Beth in heaven. He was 91 years old.

As a father and mentor to many, “Georgie boy” was the ultimate “Encourager” and constant provider of love & support to his friends and family with his infinite positive attitude. He enhanced his relationships with his children by consistently asking about their friends, their dreams and what was going on in their lives.

George Wright was born in Lanett, Alabama on October 12, 1927. He was the 4th of four children and the son of a preacher man, Lewis Wright. He revered both his father and mother Ruth while growing up in Macon, GA. His personal relationship with Jesus Christ was the foundation of his life and he was a terrific example of a Christian since he let his actions speak louder than his words.

While growing up in Macon, George fell in love with sports at Lanier High School and played just about all of them. He finished runner-up in the state of Georgia in tennis and excelled in basketball & football and received multiple scholarship offers to play both sports in college.

After initially choosing to play football at Georgia Tech, George quickly realized he was not destined to be an engineer. Former Tech coach Bobby Dodd helped him land at the University of South Carolina where, as he put it, he quickly became known as the “Judge” because he sat on the bench all the time. However, that turned out to be a good thing since he was able to admire the beauty & spirit of his future bride Beth who was a cheerleader for Carolina football games.

Beth & George enjoyed a storybook romance and were married in July of 1950 after both graduated from Carolina. After graduation, George served his country and was stationed in Germany during the Korean war.

After returning to the States, George pursued a career in sales and eventually landed at Puritan Chemical Company in Atlanta where he moved up to Vice President of Sales. His work required lots of travel but with his endless positive attitude, George flourished as he used his terrific leadership skills to mentor members of his team. He was an excellent motivator and loved sharing his “slight edge” philosophy.

After 28 years at Puritan, George joined a consulting organization which led to him establishing his own managerial consulting firm, The George B. Wright Company. George thrived professionally with his own company as he traveled to all 50 states and Canada helping first-time managers make the transition from employee to boss.

Always willing to share his Power Packed Phrases, George also utilized the 4 F’s of Fair, Firm Factual & Friendly to help new managers have a positive impact on their teams and earn the respect of their employees.

During his retirement years, George founded Sports Champions of Atlanta, an organization which honored high school students and coaches. He felt it was important to recognize young people who understood the value of contributing to their community while excelling academically and athletically.

Beth & George were active members at Second Ponce de Leon Baptist church. Both taught Sunday School to various ages and George served as a deacon, Chairman of the Deacons and numerous committees including the pastoral search committee which called Robert Marsh to become Senior Pastor. After 45 years at Second Ponce, both joined Johnson Ferry Baptist church where they continued to share their Christian faith as Sunday School teachers.

Athletically, George was an avid and highly skilled tennis player and enjoyed golf when time permitted. He shared his love of sports with his family while also teaching his children the humility required to be a Gamecock fan.

Beth & George were fervent supporters of their alma mater and burned grooves in I-20 for all the trips they made from Atlanta to Columbia. After serving as Student Body President while an undergraduate, George also served as President of the USC Alumni association and as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.

Beth & George raised their family on Chateaugay Lane in Buckhead and created a home that was welcome to all. Whenever someone visited the Wrights, they were greeted with kindness and love as Beth & George always made sure everyone felt special.

George Bryant Wright, Sr. is survived by his 4 children, Bryant (Anne), Alice (Stevie), Scotland (Peggy), Van Earl (Shari), 10 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug 10, 2019 at Johnson Ferry Baptist church in Marietta, Georgia at 11am. Prior to the memorial service, the family will have gathered for private graveside services at Arlington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations to Young Life or Right From The Heart Ministries are encouraged.

George is now in heaven with Beth, his parents Lewis & Ruth, 2 brothers Alfred & Bill and sister Alice. All are smiling because when Georgie boy is around, everybody is smiling.