W. Graham 'Gray' Wright, 89
W. Graham "Gray" Wright, 89, passed away on Jan. 17, 2008, in Kootenai, Idaho.
Memorial services will be held at a later date in Watertown, N.Y.
Gray was born on March 12, 1918, in Rochester, N.Y., the son of William H. and Marie L. "(Graham) Wright. He grew up in Rochester and attended area schools, graduating in 1936 from The Harley School in Rochester.
He worked as a cub reporter and feature writer for the "Democrat" and "Chronicle" in Rochester, and was interested in writing. His poems and articles on travel were published in Rochester area periodicals and local anthologies. He had two books of poetry published by Boonville Graphics in Boonville, N.Y.
Gray traveled around the world in 1939 and was on the Yangtze River near Shanghai when Great Britain and Germany declared war. In 1940, Gray traveled to Mexico and climbed Popocatepetl, a 17,887-foot volcano in the valley of Mexico, sending back photographs and articles to The Demo-crat and Chronicle.
In 1945 Gray operated a logging and lumber company and was asked to join the J.E. Harroun and Son Co. as a lumber buyer and trader, covering New Brunswick, Quebec and Maine mill operations including the Western Canadian Lumber Mills. In December 1949, Gray purchased the J.E. Harroun and Son Co. and become president of Harroun Lumber Corp. and also was named president of Sherman Lumber Corp. on in New York City. The J.E. Harroun Co., founded in 1889, is one of the oldest members of the North American Wholesale Lumberman's Association. He served as director in the late 1960s and was very proud of his company. He was greatly respected and admired by his peers in the lumber business.
He married Grace Atkinson Mortensen on Jan. 12, 1971, and moved to Sandpoint in 2005.
Gray enjoyed gardening and writing poetry.
Survivors include Grace "Gay" A. Wright of Sandpoint, Idaho; daughter, Sundre G. Wright of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; sons, Todd G. (Trudy) Wright of Clearwater, Fla., Timothy S. Wright of Watertown, N.Y., Garth T. (Kirsten) Wright of Tampa, Fla., and Kimberly S. Segale of Atlanta, Ga.; stepsons Viggo P. Mortensen Jr. of Venice, Calif., Charles A. (Laurinda) Mortensen of Sandpoint, and Walter S. (Sylvia) Mortensen of Santa Monica, Calif.; and eight grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and a great-grandson. Gray was preceded in death by his parents, first wife, Beverly Sundre; second wife, Phyllis Taylor; son, Jeffrey Graham Wright; and daughter-in-law, Bethany.
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Gray's online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.