1934 – 2014

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla.— Olin Perry Wright Jr., made his journey home to be with our Lord on Wednesday, Nov. 12. He was 80 years old.

Olin was born James Olin Wright on Feb. 1, 1934, at Fiske Hospital in Homestead, Fla., to Olin Perry and Frances Brown Wright. On his ninth birthday, he requested to have his name changed to Olin Perry Wright (like his daddy). The courts granted that request and he became Olin Perry Wright Jr.

Olin graduated from “Old” Homestead High School as vice president of the senior Class of 1952, where he was active on many committees and involved in various sports, especially that of catcher for the baseball team.

After graduation, Olin married his high school sweetheart, Warrene (Fluty) Braxton. He joined the U.S. Navy, serving as an electricians mate aboard the sub tender USS Bushnell (AS-15).

After his service in the Navy, he returned to Homestead to work with his father, who owned Wright Electric Company, which later became Twin-W Electric.

While living in Homestead, he was elected to Homestead City Council, was active in Junior Chamber of Commerce and served on the Military Affairs Committee. He was honored and proud to have served on the committee for the commissioning of the USS Miami (SSN-755) in 1990.

He was president of the Homestead Rotary Club and state president of the Jaycees. He was a member of the Royal Palm Masonic Lodge No. 100 of Homestead, raised May 9, 1957.

In 1996, he and his wife, (Fluty) moved to Readfield, where they lived in the home he built for them on Walker Road, until her passing in 2010, at which time he returned to Homestead, Fla.

In 1979, as president of the Homestead Rotary Club, Olin and his wife, (Fluty) had the privilege of escorting an 11-year-old cancer patient named Simon from London, and his mother to Disney World for the first time.

Olin enjoyed telling stories of his childhood, visiting museums and traveling. He was proud to say he had visited all 50 states, and had met seven presidents of the United States. He and his nephew, Perry, became traveling companions and enjoyed many educational excursions together, including a most memorable trip to the Panama Canal in 2012.

He was blessed to find love a second time, at the age of 78, on Sanibel Island. He married and is survived by his wife, Vicki Dawn Wright and her daughter, Cathy Ann Roy. They recently returned to Sanibel Island, where he reconnected and enjoyed the company of high school friends, Bob and Ellen Shiver, Dixie Lofton and Sylvia Gordon.

Olin is also survived by his “little” sister, Claire Wright Helton (Tom); daughter, Teresa Ann Boyle (David); grandson, Brad (Mary); great-granddaughter, Kaya; granddaughter, Leslie Moore (Rick); great-grandson, Robbie; great-granddaughter, Hailey; daughter, Joni Lee Gaines (Mike); grandson, Brian; granddaughter, Ashley Jade; nephews, Allen (Marti) and Perry Collins (Ann); nieces, Tamara Merrill (Mitch), Kay Shewchuk (Russ), Patricia Hendrix (Ted) and Sarah Lalas (Brian); great-nieces and -nephews, Thomas (Alese), Madison, Bridgett, James, Josh, Johnathan (Brittany), Jeremy, Christopher, Cayla; great- great-nieces and -nephews, Brighton, Rocket and Jaiden.

He was predeceased by his parents, Olin Perry and Frances Wright; his wife, Warrene (Fluty) Wright; and sister, Sallie Wright Jones.