John Wilson Wright

After a full life and long illness, John Wilson Wright, 93, of San Antonio, passed away peacefully on April 2, 2024. He married the love of his life, Anselma "Selma" Marie Felderhoff, on June 15, 1957, and they had four daughters, Renee, Colleen, Janet, and Elaine.

John, the seventh of ten children, and his family lived in Daisetta, TX where he resided until graduating from high school. He then served his country as part of the United States Army and later received a BBA and an MBA from the University of North Texas.

John served over 42 years in the banking industry, with 35 of those as President and Chief Executive Officer of numerous banks. The majority of his career was spent cleaning up "Problem Banks." He served as Chief Executive Officer of seven problem banks, bringing back all from various forms of formal regulatory sanction or letter agreements, including two banks on Cease & Desist Orders.

John served on the faculty and Board of Directors for the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University and was also a speaker and faculty member of Assemblies for Bank Directors specializing in workouts, credit quality, and bank oversite.

Notably, John treated every bank customer with absolute respect. To him, neither the strength nor depth of someone's character was defined by the size of their bank account. In recognition of his leadership in the banking industry, John was inducted into the Texas Banker's Hall of Fame in April 2015.

John's great sense of humor was a treasured gift to his family and friends. On October 21, 1965, two robbers entered the Mercantile National Bank in Tulsa, OK, where John was President. One robber pulled John from his chair when John refused to comply with the robber's demands. By the grace of God, John then moved his head just in time to miss an ensuing gunshot from the robber's firearm. John later said that the only people who knew how terrifying that was, were the good Lord above and the dry cleaners where Selma took his laundry the next day!

A lifelong Catholic, John's faith was extremely important to him. He and Selma enjoyed traveling to the Holy Land with fellow members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and John and Selma were members of St. Anthony de Padua at the time of his death. John enjoyed his annual First Weekend of Advent Men's Retreats at Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Dallas for 30+ years and treasured the friendships that he formed over the years from those weekends.

John was fiercely protective of his wife and four daughters, who never stopped calling him "Daddy." He worked endless hours to provide for his family. Education was paramount, and he was proud to watch his daughters receive postsecondary and graduate degrees. John was always eager to hear about his daughters' lives and activities, especially as each had her own family. John loved being with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and lit up each time he was with them.

John is survived by his wife of 66 years, Selma; his daughters: Renee (Ken) Cihacek, Colleen (Jake) Dean, Janet (Tom) Lusk, and Elaine (Michael) Kasper; his grandchildren: Kathryn (Anthony) Backman, Julie Cihacek, John (Elizabeth) Cihacek, Robert Dean, Madeline Dean, Diane (Blake) Richard, Jenna Lusk, Lauren Kasper, and Annamarie Kasper; and his great-grandchildren: Logan, Gracie, Beckett, and Liam.

John was predeceased by his parents, David and Marie (Keller) Wright, and all his siblings; David, Robert, Otis, Jimmy, Clayton, Estelle, Camille, Wilma, Mary.

We would like to thank our dedicated caregivers Dolores, Irma, and Desiree. Your unwavering dedication and selflessness made an immeasurable difference not only in his life but also in ours as a family. We would also like the staff at The Forum for their compassion and care.

A Rosary (10 a.m.) and Mass of Celebration (10:30 a.m.) for John's life will be held on April 16, 2024 at St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church, 102 Lorenz Rd., San Antonio, TX 78209.

If you so desire, memorial donations may be made to: St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church, 102 Lorenz Rd., San Antonio, TX, 78209, or to a charity of your choosing.

The family invites you to a reception in the parish hall immediately following the service.

Click here to livestream the service of Mr. John Wilson Wright