Maj. James E. Wright

Maj. James Edward Wright (US Army Ret), 80, of Jonesboro, died Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould.

Born in North Little Rock on February 19, 1934, to Charles Herbert and Lois Alene Shive Wright, James was a 1951 graduate of North Little Rock High School, entering the Army on June 4, 1951, at age 17. He graduated from Arkansas State College in 1957 and was a Certified Public Accountant. James served 25 years in the Army and National Guard. James served over 30 years with the Internal Revenue Service and was Chief of Review in the Oklahoma City office. James also served as a Diplomat for the United States Department of the Treasury assigned to the American Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico prior to retirement in 1990.

James was of the Baptist faith and was preceded in death by his first wife, Anita Holt Wright, second wife, Ingrid Cary Wright, two brothers Clyde Eugene (Gene) Imhoff and Charles Imhoff of North Little Rock, and brother-in-law Tim Holt of Greenbrier, AR.
Surviving children: James Edward “Eddie” (Bonnie) Wright Jr. and Stephen Perry Wright, all of Jonesboro; daughters Susan K. (Danny) Wallace of Piedmont, OK, and Melissa (Terry) Browning of Bono; and step-daughters Elizabeth (Dwayne) Rice of Ellsworth, KS and Margaret (Mark) Taschek of Rockwall, TX.

13 grandchildren: Ashley Browning, Adam Browning, James Wright III, Christopher Wright, Matthew (Dana) Wright, Perri Wright, Kennedy Wright, Lane Wright, Aubrey Rice, Talon Rice, Tevin Rice and Alana Rice.

Brothers-in-Law: LK (Doris) Holt of Manila AR, John (Linda) Holt of Hoxie, AR, Hartmut (Eva) Wehr of Rheine, Germany, and Siegfred (Angelika) Wehr of Ekernforde, Germany. Sisters-in-Law: Rosa Lee (Sammie) Bollinger of Manila, AR, Louise (Bill) Roddy of Jonesboro, AR, Nancy (Danny) Williams of Mabelvale, AR, Jane (Johnny) Gaither of Walnut Ridge, AR, Ann (Tony) Berry of Sacramento, CA, Mary Holt of Dalhart, TX, and Mary Imhoff of North Little Rock. He is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. in Emerson Memorial Chapel, with funeral service immediately following. James' brother-in-law Rev. Tony Berry of Sacramento, CA will officiate. Burial with military honors will follow in Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery.

Active pallbearers: Christopher Wright, Adam Browning, Matthew Wright, Danny Wallace, Terry Browning and Edwin Shive.
Honorary pallbearers: James Wright III, Dr. Jeffery Barber, Paul Imhoff, David Imhoff, Victor Imhoff, Rusty Imhoff, Ed Watson, Dale Coy, Bill Hoyt, and the Staff of Belle Meade Nursing Home in Paragould, AR.

For lasting memorials, the family asks that consideration be given to Belle Meade Christmas Fund, 1800 Linwood Drive, Paragould, AR 72450.