Helen Marie Wright, sister, wife, aunt, great aunt, great-great aunt, and friend, was born on December 25, 1926 in Goose Hollow (Fountain Hill), Arkansas to the late Calvin and Ada Smith. She was the youngest of ten children born to Ada and Calvin Smith. She was preceded in death by brothers Archie, Grady, Calvin, Jr., and sisters Virgie Smith, Henrietta Smith, Millie Jackson, Allie Mae Smith, Rosie Lee Smith, and Scottie Marie. The family moved from Fountain Hill to Bastrop, Louisiana, where she grew up.
Being from a religious family, Helen developed a personal relationship and commitment to the Lord early and continued her commitment throughout her 94 years. Mother Wright was the oldest member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Seattle, Washington.
During World War II, some family members moved to Oakland, California to work in the shipyards. Her parents approved of her wanting to move out West with her siblings after her high school graduation. Upon graduating from high school, Helen followed her dream of living out West with her siblings. Before starting her path in life, one of her siblings in the Pacific Northwest got sick, and she moved to Seattle to help her family. While in Seattle, she met and married her former spouse of 21 years, Harry Wright.
During her time of helping her family, Helen grew to enjoy caring for and comforting others. Therefore, she started her career in nursing at the Austin Nursing Home in Seattle. After working many years there, Helen ventured to another career path in 1973: telephone keypunching. She moved around and up in the various levels of the business. Helen was a valued employee and highly regarded by staff for her ability to manage accounts easily and make everyone feel special and part of a team. After 17 years of work, she retired from US West in 1990 with perfect attendance records for 16 consecutive years.
Helen loved life. Some would think her favorite pastime was visiting casinos near and far, especially “The Shoot” (Muckleshoot) in Washington, but it was not. Her favorite pastime was spending time chatting with family and friends, sharing family stories, and sharing good news as well as the not-so-good news. She shared news of the birth of a niece or nephew or the death of another, weddings, and divorces alike. She sprinkled her chats with lots of love and lessons she learned along the way.
Helen was an excellent cook and enjoyed cooking and sharing a dish. She loved reading and studying the Bible and asking, “What would Jesus do or say?” One of her favorite scriptures was Psalms 103. She also enjoyed completing her puzzle books. Helen was an avid bowler, and she won many trophies and awards for her high scores and sportsmanship. She was patient, independent, and had lots of fun.
Everyone respected her as the matriarch of the Smith Family. She embraced that role with great love, compassion, and wisdom. Aunt Helen, Auntie, was indeed the knot that tied the family. She is survived by generations of great and great-great nieces and nephews. She touched many lives in her lifetime. Many will have stories of their own to share of Helen’s legacy. Her incredible spirit will live on in family and friends.
Even in the face of immense physical challenges, Helen’s indomitable spirit will continue to inspire all who knew her. Her smile, many accomplishments, and good heart will not be forgotten. Helen, Aunt Helen, Auntie, Mother Wright leaves to cherish her memory many nieces and nephews and numerous cousins and friends.
Ceremonial services scheduled for Saturday, October 23, 2021 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 715-23rd Ave, S. Seattle, WA Public viewing at 10:00am PDT services at 11:00am PDT. Live Stream at 11:00am PDT.
The post first appeared on Barton Family Funeral Service.