John Brian Wright

John Brian Wright of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on June 3, 2023. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, June 23, 2023, at St. Ann Catholic Church in Prairie Village, Kansas. Visitation will be held at 10:00 am prior to the funeral service. 

John (Johnny) was born in Detroit, Michigan to Wilbur Curtis Wright and Marjory Wallace on August 5, 1940.  He was number three of seven children.  He attended Our Lady Gate of Heaven grade school and Visitation High School in Detroit, finishing at Cathedral Boys’ High School in Springfield, Illinois in 1958.  In high school, Johnny played baseball and football, along with hockey with his buddies.  Although, he loved the contact in hockey and football, his true love was baseball. 

In the fall of 1958, Johnny joined the Air Force and served for four years in the Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command where his mission was the security of bombers, missiles, fighters and nuclear weapons.  When not protecting his country, he played fast-pitch softball for his first three years in the service.  Midway through his third season, in which he was hitting .487 and was picked to represent his base in the Air Force wide tournament, he was shipped to Germany.  It was the same month that the Russians put up the Berlin Wall.  In support of the American response, he went to France, for a month, to train national guard troops, who had recently been activated and sent to Europe.  In 1962, he started his college career, finishing in 1973 with a master’s degree in history. 

On June 1, 1963, he married Mary Ann Meunieu at St. Agnes church in Springfield, Illinois.  As soon as he finished his college career, he, Mary Ann and their first four children moved to the Kansas City area in Prairie Village, Kansas.  Johnny continued playing baseball/softball on church and employer teams, along with 10 years in the senior softball league in the Kansas City area.  He played in numerous tournaments in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado and Oklahoma.  

Johnny is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Ann, his daughter Chris Percival (John), daughter Mary Carmichael (Scott), son Brian Wright (Valeria), daughter Dena Redmond (Mike), son David Wright (Lisa), along with twelve grandchildren Evan, Jacob, Emma, John, Henry, James, Molly, Levi, Collin, Maggie, Megan, and Sophia.  He is also survived by brothers Paul and Terry; sisters Diane and Debbie and over 30 nieces and nephews.  Johnny is preceded in death by his sister Patricia and brother Rusty. He will be missed by many, including his Evergreen family.

Johnny and Mary Ann practiced their Christian-Catholic faith throughout their lives.  Every day they prayed for others in the name of Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in John’s name to Evergreen Community Senior Living:  

Evergreen Community of Johnson County 

11875 S. Sunset Drive Suite 100

Olathe, KS 66061

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