Mary Ernestine Wright

Mary was born in Odessa, MO on December 8, 1929 to Raphael E. Hall and Ernestine Chaffee Hall. She was the third of four children. Her grandmother dubbed her "Mary Sunshine" on the day of her birth, a name she lived up to until the day of her death.

She married her high school sweetheart, C. Dean (Shorty) Wright, on April 14, 1947, and together they had four children. Over the years, Mary worked in a variety of jobs, including Rexall Drug Store in King City, MO as a soda jerk, Hallmark Cards in Leavenworth, KS, and Sears and Roebuck in Leavenworth, KS, Denver, CO and Albuquerque, NM. Mary then took up secretarial work, first at Los Altos Christian Church, then at McCollum Elementary School in Albuquerque. In 1972, Mary and Dean moved to Manassas, VA with their youngest child. Mary worked as the receptionist at Yeonas Realty in Vienna, VA before taking a government position with the Civil Service in Washington, D.C. In 1975, the family switched coasts and moved to Redmond, WA where Mary took a four-year hiatus from work. On becoming an empty-nester, Mary again began work as a Church Secretary for Bellevue Christian Church and then Newport Presbyterian Church, both in Bellevue, WA, with a short stint at The Pony Express in Redmond, WA in between.

In May of 1993, Mary and Dean moved back to Albuquerque, NM to enjoy retirement. They made Albuquerque their home from 1993 until October of 2016, when they followed two of their children to Castle Rock, CO. Mary and Dean moved into Valley House Assisted Living in Castle Rock on April 1, 2017 where Mary had the honor of being their longest resident.

Mary was a devout Christian who lived out her faith daily in her interactions with others. Her home was always open to friends, family, and the occasional stranger who soon became adopted family. She taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, was instrumental in the women's fellowships, and could always be found welcoming visitors at the church doors on Sundays. People were her passion, and she went out of her way to make everyone she met feel valued and comfortable.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, of 70 years, C. Dean Wright, her parents Raphael and Ernestine Hall, two sisters, Dora Jane Dierking, Virginia Lamb and great grandson Cory Fouts. She is survived by son John D. Wright and his wife, Carol, of Highlands Ranch; daughter Debbie Eggleston and her husband, Mike, of Albuquerque, NM; daughter Teri McCallon and her husband, Chuck, of Highlands Ranch; and daughter Gayle Mangis and her husband, Scott, of Post Falls, ID; nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren, a sister, Judy Vogelsmeier and special brother-in-law, Don Vogelsmeier of Sweet Springs, MO, and numerous nieces, nephews and other "adopted" family members. Dean and Mary also consider their friends at Los Altos Christian Church in Albuquerque as family.

Visitation will be on Thursday, January 30, 2025, from 4:00pm - 6:00pm at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6601 S. Colorado Blvd., Centennial, CO. Private family services will also be held in Centennial, CO, on January 30, 2025. Interment will be at Ft. Logan National Cemetery on February 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM, staging area "A".

Memorial contributions can be made to Castle Country Assisted Living, Attention - Michelle Marcum, 255 S. Valley Drive, Castle Rock, CO 80104. Please note on your memorial contribution, "In Honor of Mary Wright for the benefit of Valley House".