Dorothy Lynette Wright

The old gospel song tells us that “we shall understand it better by and by”. In the middle of a health crisis, it is sometimes hard/impossible to understand why things must be the way they are. We deny, we are angry, we bargain with God, we feel the overwhelming weight of depression. At some point, hopefully, we realize that this is the way things are going to be and we pray for the grace of God to move forward in an uncertain future. Dorothy Lynette Vickery was born on March 18, 1925 in Jasper, Alabama. In the years of the depression, that birthplace could have been any place that her father could find work as he was from a family of painters, and we are talking bucket and brush here; not oils and easels. Her parents had met in the cotton mill in Sargent where her mother had her first job after being forced off the family farm where they were sharecroppers. Her dad impressed her mother with his prowess of swinging from the overhead pipes he was tasked with painting. Her dad would eventually get established in his business and make Newnan their home. “Dot”, as she came to be known, was smitten early in life by a young man several years older than she. She loved being in the spotlight and singing was her love. Their lives would intersect when he played for her to sing “Sweet Miss Mary” in a talent show in Newnan. For the next few years, theirs would be a long-distance relationship fueled by endless letters, as he was in Macon at The Georgia Academy for the Blind. On the night she graduated high school, they went to the Presbyterian parsonage and he sealed the deal. Dorothy would tell you in a heartbeat that she was put on this earth for one reason, and that was to be the eyes for W. L. Wright. She honored that for the next 72 years as faithfully as anyone could. They were truly “joined at the hip”. They tried working separately for several years. She worked in the office of The Bonnell Company for a time, but the explosion that rocked that plant in the early dawn one day was the last day she spent there. She would eventually join W.L. in his piano tuning business as his driver, “go-fer person”, billing clerk and most importantly, chief financial officer. She had a deep sense of style for her time. She loved Bruner’s, Mann Jewelers, and Newnan Motor Company. They loved to see her coming, with W.L. in tow. The only business he visited with any sense of expectancy was the Ford dealer, as he was a sucker for the new gadgets being added to cars. The Ford folks knew that whenever they turned in the drive at the dealership, the sale of a new white Continental was about to happen. The last years of this love story were difficult for both. Her diminishing sense of reality robbed her of the ability to function in a world that made less and less sense. Even as her mind diminished, she recalled all the songs they sang and performed together. Hearing her sing “Side by Side” was the true story of their love when she could not remember much else. “Because of you, there are stars in my eyes” became more than just a lyric. Fortunately, by the time his illness claimed his life, her mind relieved her of his memory and she retreated deeper into the abyss of dementia; never to speak his name again. She truly believed in the God who created her and for all the years they were married, they prayed together at every meal and never forgot who made it all possible for them to enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle. Theirs was a love for each other and their God that found great expression in their music, and through this, they touched countless lives. The world could certainly benefit from more people so committed. Surviving are her sons, Kenneth L. Wright and his wife Sandra of Hudson, FL; Lamar Wright and his wife Cathy. Her grandchildren are Mike Wright and his wife Kristen of Saratoga, CA, Kristie Dimarakis and her husband Nick of Land O Lakes, FL, Brian Wright and his wife Angela, Adam Wright and his wife Shannon, all of Franklin TN. Her great grandchildren are Thomas Wright, Sophia Wright and Lucious Dimarakis, Carlisle Wright, Cole Wright, Adrian Wright and Charlie Wright. Her surviving sister is Louise Knowles of Newnan. You are invited to join her family on Sunday, November 3rd at 3:00 PM in The Chapel at McKoon as the life of this child of God is remembered in word and song. Truly, her life found expression in songs about love for all as humans in their interpersonal relationships and also in the believer’s walk of love with God. The family will welcome friends beginning at 2:00 PM. The service of remembrance and the profound joy for her new life will be led by Reverend Matt Sapp. Her earthly body will rest beside her beloved W. L. at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Those who may wish to honor her, may do so by a memorial gift to Central Baptist Church P.O. Box 1221 Newnan GA 30264. Online condolences may be expressed at www.mckoon.com. McKoon Funeral Home 770-253-4580.

Dorothy Lynette Wright

March 18, 1925 - October 28, 2019