David Arthur Wright

David Arthur Wright was born 25 September 1949 in Madison, Wisconsin, and left us suddenly due to cardiac arrest on 16 March 2024 in Sun City West, Arizona. In between, he lived a life of achievement, learning, laughter, and love. He earned academic plaudits and degrees, protected his country in his beloved Marine Corps and as a career public servant in the federal government, married, had children and grandchildren, and played six hundred million rounds of cards. David Wright was so much more than any list of positions, roles, and accomplishments can convey, however. Above all, he was fiercely loyal and devoted in everything he did. He was a loyal and devoted son and brother who, according to his mother Ellen, would rush home from school to help care for his 13 siblings. He loved nothing better than to reconnect with his family over the years, hosting visits from brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews whenever he had the opportunity. He was as proud of his Wisconsin roots as he was of his Green Bay Packers, flying back to his home state whenever he was able to attend home games. He was a loyal and devoted student. A quick wit with a quick laugh, Dave was an exceptional student who attended Edgewood Catholic School and graduated with a degree in Russian Studies from the University of Maryland. He was a polyglot who absorbed languages with similar skill, boasting fluency or proficiency in multiple tongues, including Finnish, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and Urdu. He was a loyal and devoted patriot who served his country from the time he enlisted in the Marines to the day he retired from federal service. A Cold Warrior, Dave was committed to advancing the causes of democracy and civil liberties across the globe, serving in Japan, Finland, Mexico, Spain, Guatemala, Argentina, Germany, Russia, Pakistan, Venezuela, China, Sudan, Thailand, and countless other posts. He saw the devastating Mexico City earthquake, the financial meltdown of Buenos Aires, the rise of Pervez Musharraf, the death of Benazir Bhutto, and to temporary ouster of Hugo Chavez, raising concerns among his children that instability would follow him from post to post. He advanced the fight against Soviet communism, narcotics trafficking, and terrorism. His efforts, like those of many of his government colleagues, went unheralded and unknown by the general public, but he and his family knew all that he did to keep our country safe. He was a loyal and devoted and oh so charming friend. He never met a stranger and treated all with good humor and kindness. He loved a good glass of bourbon, a heated political debate, and a heartfelt conversation about life, God, and everything in between. Dave was the first to make sure all were included, and the last to leave the party. He was infuriatingly good at cards, trivia, and almost everything he tried his hand at. He was loyal and devoted father and grandfather; he was quite simply and unarguably the best. He raised his daughters to be brave and passionate, to value knowledge and hard work, and to know, more than anything else, that he loved them. He looked after them and protected and cared for them, long after they had left the home and started families of their own. He shared knowledge, wisdom, resources and above all else his time with his grandchildren, making sure that each was celebrated and creating special memories that they will forever cherish. Most importantly, he was a loyal and devoted husband to Linda, his wife of 55 years. Dave's life is a love story that started when he met Linda in California in 1968 and persisted despite the fact that he fell asleep during their first date. They married when they were barely out of their teens, and together they grew up, raised children, faced adversity, and quite literally conquered the world. Their honeymoon phase never ended, much to the chagrin of their daughters who were often embarrassed by their public displays of affection. They stuck by each other in richness and in poverty, in sickness and in health, supporting one another in an unbreakable partnership that is as rare as it is remarkable. Dave is preceded in death by his mother, Ellen, his father, Norm, and his sister Judy. He is survived by his loving daughters Patricia Mayer, Virginia Kennedy, and Rebecca Miller, his sons-in-law Nicholas, Mark, and Joshua, and his grandchildren Alexander and Christopher Mayer, Molly and Hannah Kennedy, and James and Jacob Miller. He is also survived by his loving wife, Linda Ann Pope Wright, to whom he wrote: "You are, and always have been, the one and only love of my life." He was joyous and giving, and he left us knowing that he was loved as deeply and fiercely as he loved.