Charles Franklin Wright

On Thursday, December 6th at 11:47 p.m., Charles Franklin Wright went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.He was born September 3, 1926, to J.H. Wright and Mary Wright in Amarillo, Texas.Frank is preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife of 62 years, Billye Ponder Wright; brother, Jay Wright; and sister, Thalia Fulkerson. Frank is survived by his sister, Willie Brady; brother, Tom Wright; his daughter, Betty Pilot, and her husband Jack; son, Stephen Curtis Wright, Sr., and his wife Dallas; five grandchildren, Richard Knott II, Joanna Tramel Mitchell, S. Curtis Wright, Jr., Ruth Rainey, and Sarah Zablosky; 13 great grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren.Frank is also survived by sister-in-law Bettye Jo Johnson and many nieces and nephews. As a young man, Frank left the family farm to join the Navy.After finishing boot camp, Frank was assigned to an Amphibious unit in San Bruno, California where he received rigorous training including hand-to-hand combat, Judo and obstacle courses under live fire.Never one for keeping still, Frank also took up boxing, which he enjoyed until a contender from Alabama proved to be too much competition.(This is noted as the only time Frank ever quit anything.) He served aboard the USS South Dakota (BB-57) under Admiral Bull Halsey until his honorable discharge in July of 1946.The pride he felt for having served his county, while great, could not compare to his pride in having won the heart of Billye Ponder and raising their family together. Tireless at work and at home, Frank did more than just provide for his family.He guided his children and grandchildren by his words and deeds, sharing his knowledge of woodworking, leading them in song, and passionately pointing them to Christ at every opportunity. Service will be officiated by David Griffin.Serving as pall bearers are Richard Knott, II; Brian Rainey; Austin Cunningham;Jayson Tramel; Xander Tramel and Josh Mitchell, Sr. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 14, 2018, at New Hope Funeral Home, 500 East Highway 80, Sunnyvale, Texas.Memorial service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, December 15, 2018, also at New Hope, with interment immediately following.