Howard Hampton Wright, Sr., 87, of Rock Hill, SC, passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2017 in his home.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 11:00 am at Westminster Presbyterian Church with Dr. Mike Honeycutt, officiating. Visitation will be held Friday, June 23, 2017 from 6-7:30 pm at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel, 2133 Ebenezer Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732.
Howard was a native of West Palm Beach, FL and the son of the late James Jackson Wright and Lucille Roche Wright Hazard. He was a graduate of Walterboro High School and received his Mortuary degree from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Nashville, TN. Howard was a United States Air Force veteran serving valiantly in the line of fire and as an air-rescue helicopter medic in the Korean War. Upon his return to civilian life, he worked as a clerk in Washington, DC with the FBI. He later made the decision to further his education and entered The Citadel as a veteran student, graduating as a proud member of the class of 1958. After graduation, Howard worked as an agent with Naval Intelligence in Nashville, TN. He later relocated to Rock Hill where he was manager of the Wright Company, where he was known as “the man in the white shoes.” He fulfilled his dream of working in law enforcement when he became a US Customs Agent in Miami, FL and then in Wilmington, NC, where he was the Customs Agent in charge. In 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration was formed and Howard became the first Agent in Charge in Tampa, FL. In 1978, he transferred to Miami, FL. As his last assignment, he was in charge of Vice President George H.W. Bush’s task force for Drug Interdiction in the Caribbean and especially in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Howard retired as a DEA Agent in 1982, and later worked as a consultant with various background agencies including the US Secret Service. He moved to Rock Hill in 2001.
Howard was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, York County Sportsman’s Committee, Mahi Shrine in Walterboro, SC, the Rock Hill Elks Club, and the American Legion Frank Roach Post 34. He enjoyed playing golf, hunting, and spending time with his family at the Wright farm. He loved traveling, meeting people and listening to music, especially sung by his daughter and granddaughter. He was a kind, generous, considerate man who enjoyed his friends and most especially his family, which included his beloved family in St. Augustine, FL. Howard had a great sense of humor, a quick wit and love for life.
Howard is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marie Good Wright; his son, Howard Hampton Wright Jr. (Melissa); his daughters, Alexa Wright White (Richard) and Roche Wright Henson (Mark); seven grandchildren, Ashly Ragin Holliday, Rachel Elizabeth Holliday, Sydney Wright Ellis, Howard Hampton Wright, III; Banks Alexander Wright, Richard Webb White and Catherine Marie White. He was preceded in death by his brother, Robert Wells Wright.
Memorials may be made in Howard’s name to the Alexa R. Good ALS Foundation, PO Box 12248, Rock Hill, SC 29731 or Hospice & Community Care, PO Box 993, Rock Hill, SC 29731.
Condolences may be made to Howard’s family at www.greenefuneralhome.net.
Posted in: The Herald
Posted on: 2017-06-22
Link to original obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/heraldonline/obituary.aspx?n=howard-hampton-wright&pid=185873137&fhid=6358