Robert Wright

WRIGHT, Robert, 87, closed his eyes and solved the great mystery on the evening of July 11, 2019 and was reunited with Judy, the love of his life. He was born on August 30, 1931, the son of Fred and Ruth (Linson) Wright. One of ten children, his family tenant farmed all over the Miami Valley. Bob grew up in Jamestown and graduated from Ross High School, playing various sports but focusing on baseball and basketball. He served his country in the Korean Conflict, serving in the 1st Marine Division under the legendary Chesty Puller. He fought on the front lines and crossed the 38th parallel. He was eventually struck by mortar shell shrapnel and earned The Purple Heart. One of the highlights of his service was getting to play a baseball game with All-Star Willie Mays, who was also enlisted in the military at the time. He found Mr. Mays to be a very nice gentleman. He believed in the equal advancement of all people and, as a Sergeant, once quarreled with a racist superior who refused to advance a person of color because "This is the South, Sergeant!" When Bob found that he could do nothing for the man there, he was instrumental in getting the gentleman transferred to a base where Bob thought the man could better advance. His superior never forgave him for that and threatened him with demotion, but that suited Bob just fine; another superior had already risen to his defense and had his back well covered. After his service in the Marines, he returned to Springfield to work for Crowell-Collier, catching books for an ornery older fellow named Archie Jobe, who used to frequently speed up the line when Bob wasn't looking. Archie immediately liked Bob and through their friendship, Bob met Archie's lovely daughter Judy, and the two were bonded for life on May 4, 1956. Bob had no less than a second set of parents from Archie and Hank and he fished and golfed with Archie constantly. The four would often take trips to Michigan's Upper Peninsula together. Bob continued his career at Wm. Bayley with Judy employed by his side. Bob moved on to Duff Truck line and Judy became employed at WPAFB but quit there in 1966. She was finally and very happily pregnant. They had one child together and named him Scott. Bob continued to work at Duff Truck line for 24 years. Just six years short of his retirement pension, Duff shut its doors. In his mid fifties, he was forced to find other work, and he did, at Emro Marketing, where he met some of his best friends in later life. After Bob retired from Emro, he and Judy finally went on several well-deserved vacations. Bob played harmonica, as did his father before him. Bob became a master at it and passed the tradition down to his son, who passed it down to his own two sons. The tradition now spans at least four generations. Bob was an avid golfer and several times found himself golfing with major league shortstop Fred Patek. One of those times, he brought a baseball for Mr. Patek to autograph~ not for himself, but for his son. Bob loved the fact that their home became a hub for Scott's friends. Bob would take delight in coaching soccer and little league teams and would often come home from a hard day's work, run inside the house and change into shorts to play an evening of basketball in the driveway with his son and the other teenagers. No matter how many were playing, he was notorious for choosing only one kid, at random, and saying "The two of us will take you all on." He did this with great success. The couple who had only been able to have one child in their marriage now had a host of others who referred to them as Mom and Pops and felt like family, and were treated as such. Bob remained an avid sports fan his entire life, focusing upon The Ohio State Buckeyes, the Cincinnati Reds and the Green Bay Packers. Bob was infinitely supportive of Judy when she chose to become her own mother's caregiver when Hank became terminally ill. Bob took over all of the duties of the home and never once complained. Bob and Judy received two wonderful grandchildren from Scott in his union with Rachel and continued to be a very loving grandfather as well. Later in life, Bob took over the duties of becoming his own wife's caregiver for over twelve years when Judy became bound to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Bob was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Ruth, his wife Judy, her parents Archie and Hank Jobe, his brothers John (Betty), Dan (Betty), Bill (Idabel), Jim (Barbara) and Kenny (Edith), his sisters Mary Ehrman (Ken), Carolyn Leath (Dean), and Phyllis Melvin (Kenny), and his brother-in-law Jack Jobe. He is survived by his sister Grace Tyree (Paul), his son Scott and Scott's loving partner Mindi Rae, who thought the world of him, two cherished grandsons, Orion and Nicklas and their mother Rachel (Litteral) with whom he continued to maintain a very special friendship, and by brother and sister in-laws Chuck and Barbara Jobe and Rita Jobe. Visitation will be from 5-8 pm on Wednesday, July 17th with the funeral Thursday, July 18th at 10:30 am with Greg Schori officiating at CONROY FUNERAL HOME in Springfield. Burial will be in Grape Grove Cemetery in Jamestown.