From: Ed Martin
From: Lauren Wright Brown

Subject: We lost dad (Ed Wright) in August

Hi Ed,

I have just gotten back from the US today. Dad died on August 15th after unexpectedly developed serious trouble with his breathing and he went downhill very rapidly. Sadly we didn't arrive in time, (we were due to be there a couple of weeks later for his 91st birthday), but my brother and family and of course the hospice were with him all his last hours and I am glad he didn't suffer long. Like others in his family, he had a very strong heart and the pacemaker just kept it going when his lungs really weren't up for the job any longer.

I've attached a collage and parts of the funeral programme. Edward N Wright, Sr Service [1.7MB]. My nephew's wife did beautiful collages of old photos of his life and careers which were mounted on easels at his service. Along side of those, we also displayed his Comsat service awards and some mementos he'd collected on his Intelsat travels. All had been carefully wrapped and packed away all these years. There were many admiring remarks, especially from the younger set who take their wireless communications for granted!

So we truly had a celebration of the life of a lovely man, and I thought you might like to see a bit of it. The full military honours, gun salute, taps and a piper were deeply moving and made us especially proud. As we had gone to Plymouth the next day for the burial, it being a long trip from Portsmouth, we had a different minister for the graveside service. The cemetery you will see is very heavily wooded. We heard a plane or helicopter approaching and the minister stopped to let the noise pass.... we all looked up and experienced what I can only describe as a fit of the chuckles...like my dad was playing one of his quirky jokes on us. It was the Goodyear blimp heading to Plymouth beach. The minister announced that as it was blue and gold, it was ,therefore, an appropriate USAF flyover. Bless him.

Kind regards,
Lauren Wright Brown