Leland "Bill" Wright
Marriages
Wanda
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3 D Death Notice - June 22, 2014
Leland “Bill” Wright, 92, Grand Junction, died June 18, 2014,
at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary, with interment at Orchard Mesa Cemetery.
Mr. Wright was an owner/operator of a gas station and raised
quarter horses.
Survivors include one daughter, Kathy Drogos of Grand Junction; two brothers, Bill of Torrance, California, and Bob of Grand Junction; and one grandchild.
Memorial contributions to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Posse, P.O. Box 1386, Grand Junction 81502.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3 D Obituary - June 22, 2014
Leland “Bill” Wright
August 26, 1921 - June 18, 2014
Leland “Bill” Wright was born in Lebanon, Kanas, the second oldest of five siblings, to Lester and Grace Wright, on August 26, 1921.
An older brother, Harold, and younger sister, Delores, preceded him in death. His wife of 49 years, Wanda died in 1994. His companion of 15 years, Shirley Hutton, passed away in 2010. His son, Richard, passed away in 1989.
He is survived by his daughter, Kathy Wright Drogos (John) who lives in Grand Junction; grandchild, J. Fletcher Drogos (Claytie), and resides in Philadelphia, PA and attends medical school. He is also survived by two brothers, Bill of Torrance, CA, and Bob of Grand Junction.
Bill was raised on a ranch/farm in Kansas where he learned the appreciation of livestock, farm life, and hard work. He left the farm to serve his country in the US Navy, and served with distinction in WWII as a medalist on an aircraft carrier. He fought in the Pacific theatre, notably in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
After leaving the Navy he met and married Wanda Stanley. They moved from Wichita, KS to Grand Junction in 1949. He briefly
lived in the city of Grand Junction before moving to what was then the countryside of Orchard Mesa (now Chipeta Gold Course) where he built the Circle 4W Ranch and raised quarter horses. He was an excellent mechanic and maintained his business, Wright’s Texaco Service, on the corner of fifth and Pitkin from 1951 to 1983.
Bill had many passions in life. He raced speedboats while living in Kansas. He was an accomplished horseman who particularly liked showing his quarter horses at various horse shows and participation in Cutting Horse events. In his later years, he enjoyed traveling and taking cruises. He joined the Sheriff’s Posse shortly after its inception and remained with them until he was unable to do so. He had a passion for homemade ice cream.
A funeral service will be held at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary on
Tuesday, June 25, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. followed by graveside services at the Orchard Mesa Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the
Mesa County Sheriff Posse (MCSP), PO Box 1386, Grand Junction, CO 81501.
