Doug was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He moved as a teen to San Jose in 1952. Doug was a member of the James Lick High School class of 1955, as was his wife, Beverly “Bev” (Bryant) Wright. Bev was the love of Doug’s life, but sadly predeceased him in 2006.
Doug and Bev are survived by their three children, Doug, Jr.of Walnut Creek, Judith Arbaugh of Citrus Heights, and Steven of Roseville, and by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Doug chose a career in printing, initially at Muirson Label Company in San Jose. In 1979, he purchased National Printing Company, San Jose’s oldest printing company,established 1911. He proudly and successfully ran NPC, providing top-quality, traditional printing services to a wide-range of Bay Area businesses and contributing to many local charities, until selling in 2007. Doug was a co-founder and President of the South San Jose Optimists Club (“Friends of Youth”), later becoming an Optimists Distinguished Lieutenant Governor.
In the 1980s, Doug and Bev moved to a two-acre country home in Gilroy, which Doug proudly and independently maintained until moving to assisted living last year. To remain active during post-NPC retirement, Doug worked part-time at Gilroy’s Orchard Supply until it closed, briefly at Lowe’s, and then the past five years at Johnson’s Ace Hardware in Morgan Hill. Doug made many wonderful friends among his NPC, OSH, Lowe’s and Ace colleagues and customers.
Doug’s pride-and-joy was the 1950 Chevy pickup he purchased in 1966 and then carefully restored following Bev’s passing. With its 502 V-8 engine and shiny red paint (that never felt rain), he delighted showing it at local car shows, taking it on lunch excursions with his many “amigos,” or simply driving it around town attracting attention while running errands.
Doug was a life-long Boston Red Sox fan, dating from his childhood trips to Fenway Park. He also became a loyal Giants fan upon the team’s move to San Francisco. After years as a suffering baseball fan, the many World Series championships won by both teams during the 2000s brought him great joy.
Doug also found joy in many of life’s simplest pleasures: time with family and friends, fishing, golfing, his schnauzers, gardening, long daily walks, mornings at the Morgan
Hill bagel shop, his harmonica, 50’s rock and roll, and country music. He also found deep joy and grace from his devotion to Jesus Christ. As his license plate did, and now his gravestone will proclaim, he was a “sinner - saved by grace.” Doug was a genuine good man, loved by all who knew him.
A graveside funeral service for Doug will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 23 at Oak Hill Funeral Home, 300 Curtner Avenue in San Jose, immediately followed by a celebration of life reception at Oak Hill. All interested family and friends are invited to attend the funeral and reception. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The American Cancer Society in Doug, Sr.’s name.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.oakhillfuneral.com for the WRIGHT family.
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