Obituary of Johnny Marcus Wright
Funeral services for Reverend Johnny Marcus Wright, 80, of Arp will be held at 10:00 am, Friday, July 14, in the First Baptist Church of Overton with Reverend Ronnie Yarber officiating. Interment will be in Overton City Cemetery. Arrangements are under direction of Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home, Overton.
Reverend Wright passed away Tuesday, July 11, 2017 in a Tyler hospital. He was born April 28, 1937 in Limestone County to the late John and Ora Lee Griffith Wright.
Johnny was saved at the age of 19 and called into the ministry at the age of 20. He moved to Overton in 1967 from Ennis and married Darleen Thompson April 13, 1990 in Kilgore. He pastored various churches until he chartered Grace Herald Baptist Church in New London. He also championed the support of multiple mission fields abroad. He worked a variety of jobs until he came to Pope & Turner in Overton, where he was store manager for 46 years until it closed in 2012. After his retirement from Pope & Turner, he loved to get on his tractor and work the land on the Pope Ranch, AKA Wright Way Hill.
He was a member and past president of the Overton Rotary Club and a member and past president of the Overton/New London Chamber of Commerce and was Citizen of the Year 2012.
Johnny was never too busy to listen to anyone who needed to talk to him. He loved to preach God’s word and serve Him in every way needed. He learned to love music at an early age, playing the guitar and singing. He and his wife Darleen often sang and praised their Savior. He mentored young men in the East Texas area, hiring them at Pope & Turner and teaching them a good work ethic, moral values and the love of God. He stood on the foundation that “the customer was always right”, earning him great favor in the eyes and heart of his customers, becoming cherished friends with those in and out of business dealings.
He leaves behind his family who will cherish his memory forever, his wife of 27 years, Darleen Wright of Arp; four sons and their wives, Marty Wright of Winnfield, Louisiana, Rodney Wright of McKinney, Texas, Shane and Rosa Thompson of San Antonio, and Marcus and Erika Wright of Arp, his daughter and her husband, Kit and Waylon Whittenberg of Overton; two stepsons, Duane Brazier and Neil Braizer both of East Texas; fourteen grandchildren; ten great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews; a host of friends; and many special young men who looked upon him as a ‘Dad’.
Pallbearers will be Marty Wright, Rodney Wright, Marcus Wright, Shane Thompson, Jimmy Henson and Phillip Cox. Honorary pallbearers will be Waylon Whittenberg, Virgil Middlebrook and Ben Bynum.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home, Thursday, July 13, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Herald Baptist Church - Missions, 21744 CR 223, Arp, Texas 75750.
