Jeffrey "Jeff" Michael Wright's Obituary
Jeffrey “Jeff” Michael Wright, 65, passed away peacefully on Feb 5, 2023, surrounded by his family. He was born in Ogdensburg, NY on February 8, 1957, to Donald Stanley Wright and Nancy Leuze Wright.
Jeff was born in Ogdensburg NY and lived most of his childhood in Syracuse NY. He has many happy memories of childhood, playing with his brothers Chris and Tom. He also frequently played with his cousins on both sides of his family and enjoyed the feeling of having many close family bonds. He was especially close to his paternal grandparents. They lived on a large piece of property right on the st Lawrence River. They called it a farm, but it also included wooded areas, a long streambed, and a swimming and fishing area. His grandfather gave them tractor and boat rides and his grandmother served lots of good food. Any weekend, spring break, or summer spent on the farm was a golden day in Jeff’s book of life.
Like most of us, Jeff felt a bit awkward in his teen years. He took up nature photography as a hobby and worked all of the summer to buy his first camera. This would become a lifelong passion. Being surrounded by the beauty of nature and then being able to capture not only an image but the feeling of the moment was one of his special gifts. Jeff also liked to gift his friends with his photography and takes comfort in the idea that he will live on in this way.
Jeff went to the Cardiopulmonary Technology program at Santa Fe as a young adult. He spent several months completing the admission process and worked hard and studied for long hours. He did very well in the program. He was joined by his brother Chris who applied at the last minute and frequently used Jeff’s notes to cram for exams the night before. He also did very well, much to Jeff’s chagrin!
Even before he graduated, he was hired by the North Florida Regional Cath Lab. NFR was a small hospital then which fostered close friendships with coworkers and an overall family atmosphere. Early on, Jeff met an attractive young nurse, Carol, and they fell in love and got married. He enjoyed family life and especially enjoyed his two sons, Jared and Adam. Even after his divorce, he remained a strong presence in their lives. Frequent trips to St Augustine to visit his parents and enjoy the beach was especially rewarding. Many other special memories revolve around Boy Scouts. Jeff was a den leader for many years: pinewood derby and camping were his favorite scouting activities.
A few years after his divorce, he met another coworker, Jacqueline, who would become the love of his life. Together they bought a home, raised a family, and faced all the ups and downs of daily life together. He bonded with their son, John, over weekly Saturday morning Pokémon league. With daughter, Christina, frequent visits to the coin and jewelry shop were a favorite activity.
Jeff brought fun and family traditions to all of our lives. Dinner was a special time of dad jokes, trivia questions, and word games. He seemed to find a way to unite all the kids in groaning over the same jokes, told over and over. Another special tradition was at Christmas. We would each buy a hallmark ornament and decorate the tree together.
With more kids and more bills, Jeff decided to start working a second job. He became an instructor at Sante Fe College, teaching the hands-on portion of echocardiography. He took great pride in helping young adults master a skill that would lead to a rewarding profession. Over the years, many of those students would be hired at North Florida Regional and he would continue to mentor them in work and in life. Many became some of his best friends.
When Jeff was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he knew that he may not live long. Instead of allowing himself to become depressed he was determined to enjoy each day as much as possible. He continued to do that until the very end.
Jeff is survived by his wife of 31 years, Jacqueline; his sons, Jared Wright (Nina), Adam Wright, John Wright (Arianna), and his daughter, Christina Wright (Alec). He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, Christopher Wright, and is survived by his brother, Thomas Wright (Martha).
A celebration of Jeff’s life will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 4 pm in the Chapel of Williams-Thomas Westarea, 823 NW 143rd Street Newberry, FL. with Pastor Steve Price as officiant. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jeff’s honor to the Humane Society of Gainesville at www.humanesocietyncfl.org
Jeff loved all cats.
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