Richard A. Wright

Richard A. "Dick" Wright of Waltham died on May 6, 2019, after a brief illness, surrounded by his loving family. He was 84.

Richard was born in Newton on February 6, 1935, the son of the late George and Madeleine (Dubois) Wright. He was a 1952 graduate of Waltham High School. After high school, Dick did a post-graduate year at Bridgton Academy in Maine (1953). He then attended the University of Massachusetts on a football scholarship from 1954 to 1957. He was a star half back and safety for the Minutemen for his four years obtaining national and local accolades. He was a lifelong resident of Waltham, living on Marlboro Road in his youth and for the past 56 years on Copley Avenue.

Dick's professional career was spent largely at Raytheon Corporation, first at the Badger Company (a Raytheon subsidiary) in Cambridge, MA, and after earning increasing levels of responsibility ended his career in 1998 at Raytheon Headquarters in Lexington, MA as an Executive Controller. Dick earned his MBA from Northeastern University (1967) and a Certification in Public Accounting from Bentley College (1970). Dick also served in the US Army working as a cryptographer. He enjoyed telling stories of his time spent in the Army deployed in Germany and his important role as a code breaker.

The love of Dick's life was his wife and best friend Eileen. Dick and Eileen were married in 1962. Dick and Eileen loved vacations traveling to the Caribbean islands and Florida. They both enjoyed their beach house on the Cape in West Dennis, where they spent their summer months in retirement walking the length of West Dennis beach every day. During the winters, they would travel to Florida, spending the first few years in Melbourne Beach, and the remaining years in Naples. Dick looked forward to his son's families coming to visit to hang out by the pool, play golf, and going out to dinner. Dick was an avid runner who ran a couple of marathons and many road races. He fondly recalls his work days in Cambridge, MA running on the Charles at lunch time. Dick also lived and died with Boston sports, especially the Patriots and Celtics. He also liked to attend UMass football games and would take his sons to all Waltham High School football games when they were young. Dick was inducted into the Bridgton Academy sports Hall of Fame in 2005 after playing football, basketball, and baseball there.

Along with his wife Eileen, he leaves his four sons; Richard of Los Angeles, CA, Jeffrey Wright (Holly Lassige) and his son, Viktor of Plymouth MA, Martin Wright of Waltham, MA, and Steven (Cindy), and their daughter, Kennedy and son, Trent of North Chelmsford, MA. Dick was pre-deceased by his sister Carole Wright.

Family and friends will honor and remember Richard's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), in Waltham on Friday May 10th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. Saturday before leaving in procession to Our Lady of Comforter Afflicted Church, 880 Trapelo Road Waltham, where his funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne is private.

In lieu of flowers memorials in his name may be made to the Joslin Diabetes Center, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215 or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute,450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.