Lawrence Marion Wright

Lawrence M. 'Larry' Wright was born on Wednesday, Nov 12, 1941, in Ottawa, Kan., son of Lawrence M. and Wilda J. (Farris) Wright. Larry passed away on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008, in an automobile accident in Cherry Hill, N.J., at the age of 66 years. His interest in law enforcement began at an early age. While still in high school, he worked as a dispatcher for the Ottawa Police Department. At 17, he was elected Chief Ottawa Civil Defense Auxiliary Police. He graduated from Ottawa High School in 1959. He attended the University of Kansas and spent his junior year abroad in San Jos', Costa Rica. While attending college, Larry worked for the KU campus police department and the Ottawa Police Department. He graduated from KU in 1963 and attended the University Of Kansas School of Law in 1966. He joined the Foreign Service and worked for the State Department overseas until he retired in 1991. He was stationed in Vietnam, Spain, Portugal, El Salvador, Panama, Mexico, Colombia, The Hague and Honduras. He retired to Ottawa, Kan., where he served two terms as County Attorney of Franklin County. He moved to Keller, Texas, and was called back into government service after Sept. 11. He was based in Bosnia, Montenegro, Cuba and Colombia. Larry's societies included: member of the Kansas Delegation to the 2000 Republican National Convention; Republican National Committee; Kansas Alumni Association; Elks Lodge No. 803 B.P.O.E.; Ottawa Lodge No. 18 AF 32nd degree Mason (Grand Master) Shriner; member of the Latin Rite; lifetime member of the NRA and AARL; and Kansas Peace Officers Association. He was fluent in seven languages. He loved music, especially marches. He was an avid collector and bibliophile. He loved old movies and mystery series. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of Franklin County. He was an amateur radio operator and held a private pilot's license. He could scuba dive, parachute jump and repel from helicopters and he could play the piano, organ and banjo. He enjoyed traveling and stopping for a good cup of coffee. He is survived by a daughter, Carmen Wright of Houston, Texas; a sister, Marilyn Wright Gore, of Houston, Texas; and a sister, Cara Ann Smothers, of Keller, Texas. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2008, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ottawa with burial at Greenwood Cemetery in Franklin County. Friends may pay their respects to Larry at the Dengel & Son Mortuary after 1:00 p.m. Wednesday to the service hour, where a Rosary will be said at 7:00 Wednesday evening followed by a family visitation from 7:30 to 8:30. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Bea Martin Peck Animal Shelter.