Submitted by Fran Olson Gustafson 1965 <fgustafson917@gmail.com> on 06/Mar/2019 184.103.175.40
James
Campbell Wright of New Windsor passed away peacefully on March 5, 2019 at the
Kaplan Family Hospice from complications of Lewy body Dementia. Jim was a 1949
graduate of Newburgh Free Academy and received his BA in Economics from Colgate
University in 1953. He then served in the U.S. Army as a fire direction
specialist with the First Infantry Division patrolling the German/Czechoslovakia
border where he met and married Dora Friedrich, his wife of 63 years. Upon his
return to Newburgh under the Army's unit rotation plan "Operation Gyroscope" Jim
worked briefly for the NYS Labor Department before starting his own business,
The Wright Employment Agency in 1959. As a self-employed businessman, Jim was
active in many business, civic and community organizations and served in various
capacities with the Eastern Orange Chamber of Commerce, The Newburgh
Businessman's Association, The Jaycees, Kiwanis Club of Newburgh, the Orange
County Industrial Development Agency and the Foreign Trade Zone Management
Board. Jim was always politically active working behind the scenes as a
Republican Committeeman and chaired and worked on many political campaigns. In
1969 Jim entered the political arena himself and ran for a county legislator
position in the newly created inaugural legislature which replaced the former
Board of Supervisors. He was elected and subsequently re-elected six times,
serving the citizens of the 11th District for 28 years until he chose to retire
from office. While a county legislator, Jim served in a number of capacities
including Chairman of the Rules Committee and Majority leader and was a prime
mover of the enhanced 911 system for Orange County. In 1982 Jim was appointed to
the Stewart Airport Commission and served as Chairman of the Committee from 1983
to 2016. He had a real passion for Stewart Airport and worked endlessly within
the committee and business community to promote its development and passenger
service. Jim always did his homework, researched the issues and was always
prepared to vigorously debate both sides of an issue. He never met a piece of
paper he did not like and often kept multiple copies of articles, newspaper
clippings and other reference materials in the event they may prove useful in
the future. In his spare time Jim enjoyed boating, tennis and golf. He was a
former member of the Newburgh Yacht Club and more than once took home a trophy
at the Boca Teeca Senior Tennis tournaments in Boca Raton, Florida. Jim is
survived by his wife Dora, his daughter Mary Ellen Wright, his very special
daughter Carol Anne Wright, his son-in-law Jack St. John, his daughter-in-law
Hillary Wright and his grandsons James and Jordan Wright. He is also survived by
his sister Mary Jane Miller and her daughters Kathleen Fabrizio and Nancy
Miller-Stelling and their families. He was predeceased by his son Gregg Wright
who passed in 2010 due to pancreatic cancer. The family would like to give
special thanks to Jim's companions Angela, Ellen and Gail who each brought their
special skills and compassion to Jim and our family as his dementia progressed.
We would also like to express our gratitude to staff and volunteers at the
Kaplan residence for their care in Jim's final days. Memorial contributions may
be made to Calvary Presbyterian Church, Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research
Foundation (Gregg’s Gang”) or Hospice Of Orange and Sullivan Inc. Visitation
will be held 3-7pm on Friday March 8, 2019 at Brooks Funeral Home, 481 Gidney
Avenue, Newburgh. Funeral Services will be held at 11 am on Saturday March 9,
2019 at Calvary Presbyterian Church 120 South Street Newburgh, NY with burial at
Woodlawn Cemetery.
Replies to this post
No replies yet
Reply to this post
NFA Class Memorial Page
This is an Interactive Memorial Page ........ Please contribute !
Please add information you have on any alumni that have passed away....
When , where, how, obituary, & pictures if possible.
I will add a class picture and any other picture you or I may have.
If any errors are made email me and I will correct.
If you still don't feel confident.. Email the info and I will post for you. w.norvell@att.net
James
Campbell Wright of New Windsor passed away peacefully on March 5, 2019 at the
Kaplan Family Hospice from complications of Lewy body Dementia. Jim was a 1949
graduate of Newburgh Free Academy and received his BA in Economics from Colgate
University in 1953. He then served in the U.S. Army as a fire direction
specialist with the First Infantry Division patrolling the German/Czechoslovakia
border where he met and married Dora Friedrich, his wife of 63 years. Upon his
return to Newburgh under the Army's unit rotation plan "Operation Gyroscope" Jim
worked briefly for the NYS Labor Department before starting his own business,
The Wright Employment Agency in 1959. As a self-employed businessman, Jim was
active in many business, civic and community organizations and served in various
capacities with the Eastern Orange Chamber of Commerce, The Newburgh
Businessman's Association, The Jaycees, Kiwanis Club of Newburgh, the Orange
County Industrial Development Agency and the Foreign Trade Zone Management
Board. Jim was always politically active working behind the scenes as a
Republican Committeeman and chaired and worked on many political campaigns. In
1969 Jim entered the political arena himself and ran for a county legislator
position in the newly created inaugural legislature which replaced the former
Board of Supervisors. He was elected and subsequently re-elected six times,
serving the citizens of the 11th District for 28 years until he chose to retire
from office. While a county legislator, Jim served in a number of capacities
including Chairman of the Rules Committee and Majority leader and was a prime
mover of the enhanced 911 system for Orange County. In 1982 Jim was appointed to
the Stewart Airport Commission and served as Chairman of the Committee from 1983
to 2016. He had a real passion for Stewart Airport and worked endlessly within
the committee and business community to promote its development and passenger
service. Jim always did his homework, researched the issues and was always
prepared to vigorously debate both sides of an issue. He never met a piece of
paper he did not like and often kept multiple copies of articles, newspaper
clippings and other reference materials in the event they may prove useful in
the future. In his spare time Jim enjoyed boating, tennis and golf. He was a
former member of the Newburgh Yacht Club and more than once took home a trophy
at the Boca Teeca Senior Tennis tournaments in Boca Raton, Florida. Jim is
survived by his wife Dora, his daughter Mary Ellen Wright, his very special
daughter Carol Anne Wright, his son-in-law Jack St. John, his daughter-in-law
Hillary Wright and his grandsons James and Jordan Wright. He is also survived by
his sister Mary Jane Miller and her daughters Kathleen Fabrizio and Nancy
Miller-Stelling and their families. He was predeceased by his son Gregg Wright
who passed in 2010 due to pancreatic cancer. The family would like to give
special thanks to Jim's companions Angela, Ellen and Gail who each brought their
special skills and compassion to Jim and our family as his dementia progressed.
We would also like to express our gratitude to staff and volunteers at the
Kaplan residence for their care in Jim's final days. Memorial contributions may
be made to Calvary Presbyterian Church, Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research
Foundation (Gregg’s Gang”) or Hospice Of Orange and Sullivan Inc. Visitation
will be held 3-7pm on Friday March 8, 2019 at Brooks Funeral Home, 481 Gidney
Avenue, Newburgh. Funeral Services will be held at 11 am on Saturday March 9,
2019 at Calvary Presbyterian Church 120 South Street Newburgh, NY with burial at
Woodlawn Cemetery.