Bufford Wayne Wright's Obituary
Bufford Wayne Wright was born on April 11, 1941 in Tulsa, Okla. to Everett Gann and Lorene (Crawford) Gann. With his mother selling produce at the old Trenton Market, he could be found sound asleep in the bushel basket. By age 5, he and his brother Gene were picking poke and made many trips with his dad, a truck farmer, with a hunk of cheese and bologna for lunch.At age 7 he and his brother thought they’d get rich, rented a stall at the market selling produce until mom found out. There wasn’t a movie house in Tulsa these two boys didn’t know how to get into. By 6th grade, his brother was a caddie at Southern Hill and Wayne picked up golf balls.Moving to Suburban Acres, he attended Cherokee School, had a paper route, bought his first motor scooter and met Pat. He also worked part time in his uncles Fruit Stand. Upon entering Central High School, he took Vo-Tech and worked as a machinist part time, graduating in 1959.He got a wild hair one day and asked Gene Redford to join the army on the Buddy Plan. Having agreed they took basic training in Colorado, then Texas. They were to be stationed in Germany but in route their plane crashed in Kentucky.; There was a few minor injuries but after a few days they were all on a plane to Germany where he arrived just in time to be Best Man at his brother wedding.While in Germany he visited 9 counties, drove an army tank, messed up several bridges, destroyed the general’s car and put a piece of concrete on the top of a carmangia while on maneuvers. Upon discharge he sailed with the Navy into New York harbor and saw the Statue of Liberty, got a plane for home in September 1962. By Christmas he and Pat were dating and she became his bride on June 29, 1963. One year later Jimmy and born and then Caprice.Working as a machinist, he didn’t want to do that all his life so he started back to 7 years of night school obtaining his B.A. in Accounting. Going to work at Ramsey Winch as a Cost Accounting Supervisor and retired at age 52 as an Assistant Controller.Wanting to enjoy is retirement, he hunted, fished and became an organic gardener raising plants to give to his kids, neighbors and Pats Garden Club. Wayne gave many lectures on gardening. They were member of the Keystone Fire Department auxiliary and Wayne was President of the Keystone Property Owner Association for 12 years and did taxes on the side.Wayne was preceded in death by his father, Everett Gann, mother, Lorene (Gann) Blackburn, and step-father Phil Blackburn and step-brother, Jim Blackburn. He is survived by wife Patricia Wright (51 years), brother, Gene and wife, Connie Wright, sister, Ellen and husband, Gene Redford, brother, Jimmy R. Wright, half brother, David Gann, step-sister, Jeanne Sarasua and step-father, Frank Wright, one uncle, Ernie Crawford, many cousins, nieces and nephews and friends.A chapel service will be held Thursday, September 4, 2014, 3:00 pm at the Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
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