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Obituary for Wendell Robert Wright
Wendell Robert Wright, age 79, of Oakland, IL, passed away while surrounded by his family Sunday, October 5, 2014 at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon, IL.
Wendell was born December 22, 1934 in Ashmore, IL to George Dewey and Bertie May (Smith) Wright. He married Sarah Ruth Hawkins on June 9, 1957 at the Ashmore Presbyterian Church; she survives.
He is also survived by four children: Daniel (Kelly) Wright of Oakland, IL, Dennis (Maralea) Wright of Charleston, IL, Marsha Temples of Oakland, IL and Rachel Wright (James Taylor) of Oakland, IL; a sister: Carol Livingston of Charleston, IL; seven grandchildren: Melody (Rick) York, Brandon (Leslie) Wright, Denise (Mitch) Titus, Jamie (Jared) Nixon, Kristin (Cory) Kleiss, Jada Temples and Tyler Wright; ten great-grandchildren; and his dog, Vada. He was preceded in death by a son: Terry Wright; his parents, three brothers and a granddaughter, Kala Temples.
Wendell was a lifelong resident of the Oakland area. He retired from USI, where his friends and co-workers knew him as “Slick.” He also was an IHSA referee for over 25 years, and raced stock cars and enjoyed square dancing in his younger days. He served in the Army National Guard and was a volunteer firefighter in Oakland for many years. Wendell was an avid fan of Chicago Cubs baseball, Illini basketball, and Tri-County Titans sports. He also enjoyed spending winters in Florida and vacationing in Las Vegas.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, October 7, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Krabel Funeral Home in Oakland. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Oakland Cemetery. For those who wish, memorials may be made to Oak Grove Separate Baptist Church in care of the funeral home.
