top of page

Obituaries

Thomas P. Wright

Thomas P. Wright died on January 10, 2016, in Peterborough, NH, with his family by his side. He was 84 years old.

 

Thomas was born to Mr. and Mrs. John P. Wright (Ruth McCaffery) on October 21, 1931, in Keene, NH. He was a direct descendent of Thomas Morse, the first European settler in Dublin, NH. He attended Keene schools, and St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, graduating from Proctor Academy in Andover, NH. He was a graduate of Trinity College, and spent his career working at J.A. Wright & Co., the family business. In 1959, Thomas married his first wife, Georgia B. Spencer; together they had three children. The marriage ended in divorce, and in 1973, he married Elizabeth Story Smith. That marriage lasted 41 years, until her death on July 12, 2014.

 

Thomas was passionate about public service, conservation, planning, and zoning. As a longtime New Hampshire resident, he was a Keene city councilor; in Dublin, he served on the planning board from 1972 to 1977; on the zoning board of adjustment from 1978 to 1986 and again from 1991 to 2000; and on the Dublin Lake preservation committee from 1997 to 2008. He assisted in drafting the first master plan for the town of Dublin, and was a member of the transportation committee in its earlier days. Thomas was a member of multiple boards, including those of the Dublin Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County; Monadnock Conservancy; New Hampshire Lakes Association; Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests; and the Southwestern New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission.

 

He was an outdoor enthusiast, and was particularly proud of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests’ creation of the Ashuelot River Headwaters Forest from land previously owned by a family trust. Ownership of the land and permanent protection was transferred to the Society, and Thomas couldn’t have been more thrilled. He was an avid skier and salmon fisherman, and made numerous trips to the Gaspe Peninsula, Iceland, and New Brunswick in his pursuit of the fish. He was fascinated by weather, and was a certified weather spotter for the National Weather Service. Although many were unaware of his green thumb, Thomas once won “Best in Show” at the Dublin Garden Club’s daffodil competition. He was a yoga practitioner, and was featured on the internationally-acclaimed public television series Yoga for the Rest of Us.

 

Thomas is survived by his three children, Georgia Wright of Fairfax, CA, T. Spencer Wright of Santa Fe, and Jock Wright and his wife, Mary, of Wilton, CT; two stepchildren and their spouses, Kate Van Wely and her husband, Christian, of Wakefield, MA, and Will Wear and his wife, Laura, of Amherst, MA; five grandchildren, Anna, Sam, and James Wright, and Lily and Holliday Wear; a sister, Mary Wright of Gilsum, NH; sister-in-law Patricia Wright of Peterborough; nieces Sarah Stanley and Susan Wright; nephews J.B. Wright and Joshua Wright, along with their children; first wife, Georgia Spencer Wright of Sebastopol, CA; and Oliver, his loyal Bernese Mountain Dog. Thomas was predeceased by his brother, John M. Wright. A memorial service was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Peterborough on January 22, 2016.

bottom of page