Douglas Massey Wright Jr.

Douglas Massey Wright, Jr., a lifelong resident of Nashville and a descendant of Andrew Ewing, a founder of the city, died peacefully on September 25 at age 88. Mr. Wright is preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, the former Florence Elise Stevenson, a graduate of Ward Belmont and Vanderbilt University. Mr. Wright graduated from Duncan Preparatory School and from the University of the South, Sewanee, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta and sang in the University Choir. After being honorably discharged from the United States Air Force with the rank of Airman First Class, he served in Tennessee Air National Guard. He worked for Metal Products and Temco before entering the insurance business in 1964, retiring as President of INS Agency Services in 1994. With his fine sense of humor and deft turn of phrase, Mr. Wright was a master at easing difficult conversations. True to the last, he lightened the revelation of his prognosis with one of his thousands of jokes, and followed with his heartfelt instructions for financial security. Mr. Wright served as a volunteer for Community Chest, Junior Achievement, Habitat for Humanity and as past president of both The Nashville Kennel Club and the Nashville Association of Life Underwriters. Benefitting from his experience with the Civil Air Patrol as a student, he continued as an adult to serve in multiple volunteer capacities, including flying search and rescue missions and delivering blood and transplant organs across the southeast for the Red Cross. Mr. Wright was recognized by the Red Cross, for donating blood and platelets over 80 times. Always interested in people, he greatly enjoyed the friendships he made though his work and while pursuing his personal interests, which included fishing, white water canoeing, piloting small planes and breeding a noted line of English Pointer dogs for show and field work. Mr. Wright is survived by two daughters, Elise Stevenson (Mrs. Gerald) Aballi of Valley Center, California, and Lilian Parker (Mrs. Thomas) Hudson, of Nashville; and two grandchildren, Elise Hudson of New York City, and McLean Hudson of Charlotte, North Carolina. Survivors also include five nephews and nieces; Elliott Mackle of Atlanta; Douglas Mackle (Jody) of Amelia Island, Florida; Jim Dyer (Julia) of McMinnville; Margaret Dyer Brown (the late Larry) of Franklin; Elizabeth Dyer Torkelson (the late Jack) of Greenbrier; and numerous beloved grand-nieces, grand-nephews and their children. Along with his wife, Mr. Wright was preceded in death by three sisters, Milbrey Ewing (Mrs. Elliott James) Mackle, Lilian Frederick (Mrs. John Simpson) Gordon and Margaret Fall (Mrs. Wesley Halliburton) Dyer; and his parents, Douglas Massey Wright Sr. and Margaret Eakin Fall Wright. The family expresses deep gratitude to Janet Tizza, Emelia Sikepe, Punnee Reyes, Dorothy Head, Donna Leggs, and Amanda Adamson. The family will receive friends on Sunday, October 8th between four and six o’clock in the evening and on Monday, October 9th from ten to eleven-thirty in the morning at Woodlawn Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. A Celebration of Mr. Wright’s Life will follow at eleven-thirty. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to: Civil Air Patrol, TN Wing, 2441 E. General Aviation Dr., Alcoa, TN, 37701; Junior Achievement, 120 Powell Pl., Nashville, TN 37204; or blood and/or platelet donations to the American Red Cross.