Richard Wright's Obituary
Richard Allen Wright, II, age 36, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, March 10, 2023, in the arms of his beloved son, Parker.
Richard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 11, 1986, the son of Stephanie (Griffith) Meissen and Richard Wright. He grew up in Owasso and attended school there. In his youth, he enjoyed soccer, baseball, exploring the creek in front of his house and Cub Scouts with his brothers. His childhood fascination with all things mechanical grew into a love of cars and endless visions of the restoration and customization of his future dream cars. It didn’t matter if he was driving an ancient Honda with only a few good miles left on it; Richard would still challenge a shiny new sports car to a race at a stoplight if the mood hit him. He loved music, and his playlist included everything from classical music to rap, Walt Disney tunes to country songs. He had a soft spot for all creatures, even wild baby rabbits and random squirrels. He would sit on the porch for hours petting any one of the family dogs. Each got a nickname and he talked to them like friends when he thought no one was listening. Richard never met a roller coaster he wasn’t willing to try. He was endlessly sentimental about the smallest mementos from family members we had lost. He would send unexpected “Good morning” and “I love you” texts with random things he’d seen that reminded him of you. More than anything else in his life, Richard was happiest when he was with family. His son and his fiancée, Lauren, were the center of his world. “That boy is my heart and soul,” Richard once said. “Being your Father is, without question, what I’m on this earth to do,” he wrote of Parker. He posted on Facebook to celebrate one of Lauren’s accomplishments, saying, “I love you, Lauren Nicole. I’m really glad Parker and I have you in our world.” Long afternoons turned into evenings talking about life and playing video games with his brothers, John and Matthew. Any conversation between the three men always ended with, “I love you, brother,” not just out of habit, but because they sincerely meant it. Richard never missed an opportunity to tease his little sister, Victoria; he called her “Stinky” her entire life and refused to stop as she became an adult and a mother. His face lit up at the site of his nephews and his niece; being their “Smuncle” was one of his favorite roles. He never missed a family dinner, a holiday, a birthday. Our gatherings will be quieter without hearing his “Hey, Momma!” each time he walked in the door.
Richard is survived by his son, Parker Wright, age 15, and his fiancée, Lauren Cochran. He leaves behind his parents, Richard Wright and Stephanie Meissen, as well as his stepfather, Jim Meissen. His is survived by his siblings, John Wright, Matthew Wright, and Victoria (Austin) McCalister-Jones. His loss is mourned by his nephews, his niece, aunts, uncles and cousins. Richard was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Carl Griffith, Suella Barnett, and David Barnett; his paternal grandparents, John Wright and Julia Williams, preceded him, as well.
Services will be held on Tuesday, April 11 at 2:00 PM under the direction of Floral Haven in their Rose Chapel.
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