Celebrating the life of William D. "Bill" Wright, Jr.
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Obituary for William D. "Bill" Wright, Jr.
Richford, VT - William “Bill” Douglas Wright, Jr. of Richford, VT, died peacefully in the presence of his family and loved ones at University of Vermont Medical Center on Friday April 24th at 11:35 PM after a short fight with cancer. Bill was born in Milford MA, the oldest son of William and June (Malloy) Wright on September 23, 1949. He cherished his childhood and teen years in Hopedale, MA and spoke often of the Parklands, Hopedale Pond and the Draper Corporation. Bill graduated from Saint Mary's High School in Milford, MA in 1967 and from Framingham State College in 1973, with a Bachelor's of Science in Early Childhood Education. Bill served as a Justice of the Peace for the town of Richford, VT and also served as a past president of the Lions' Club. Bill worked as a materials' manager for a number of companies in Massachusetts and later in South Carolina. Bill perceived his true calling to be a singer-songwriter. He spent countless hours playing his guitar and writing thoughtful, and sometimes satirical, lyrics about politics, the economy, injustice, love and a host of other topics. Bill often spoke with great pride about his years playing with his band mates in Yesterday's Papers, his experiences at River Fest with the Lowell, MA music community, his opportunities to play at the Snowshoe in Montgomery, VT and the Adin Ballou Peace Picnic in Hopedale, MA with his friends, Dave and Buzzy. Bill leaves behind a host of good friends, including, but not limited to: Joanne, Buzzy and Margie, Dave, Tom, Regina, Jackie, Mary, Elka, Joey, Andy and Trish, Adrain, Miya and Jillian, Carson, Chop, Deb, Joe and Billie. In addition to his friends, Bill will be greatly missed by his sons, Bill Simmons and his wife, Sandi, of Saint Albans, VT; Keith Simmons and his wife, Katie, of Franklin, MA; Step-son, Neil Santos and his wife, Kelly, of Hudson, NH; his siblings, Beth Morrow and her husband, David, of Crystal Beach, FL; Sharon McKenney and her husband, Mike, of Marlton, NJ; Tom Wright and his wife, Darla, of Kalamazoo, MI; and Gary Wright and his wife, Vickie, of Hershey, PA. Additionally, Bill is survived by his four grand-children, Abby and Ella of Saint Albans, VT and Evelyn and Andrew of Franklin, MA.; twelve nieces and nephews, as well as grand-nieces and nephews and many cousins. A Memorial celebration of Bill's life will take place on Friday May 29, 2015,at 5:00 PM at the Bandstand in the Hopedale, Massachusetts Town Park. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Vermont Division, 55 Day Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495 or the Arthritis Foundation, P.O. Box 96280, Washington, DC 20077. Messages of condolence to Bill’s family are welcome at www.healdfuneralhome.com.
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