Ruth Jane Wright

Ruth Jane Wright went to our Lord Jesus Christ Thursday, October 23, 2014 surrounded by her family at home. She was born Ruth Jane Naylor in Corpus Christi, Texas on April 2, 1931. She came to Long Beach, Calif. with her family in 1942 and graduated Poly High School class of 1948. She married Clarence (Dick) Burdick Wright on November 11, 1949. They made their first home in Los Alamitos, Calif.

She started a career as political activist assisting her husband as City Parks Commissioner. Ruth wrote a history of early Orange County and presented it to the Los Alamitos Historical Society. She enjoyed working as a seamstress, making custom dresses, and alterations.

In 1976, they moved to Fallbrook to start an exotic plant nursery. Her hobbies included attending creative writing workshops, floral arranging, and painting. In 1985, their home and nursery were destroyed by a fire. They joined the De Luz Canyon Volunteer Fire Department in 2000 where she served as communications dispatcher. Ruth continued as an activist helping create two permanent fulltime fire protection departments serving her community.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Dick Wright; her children, Kraig Duane Wright, Ruth Arlie (Candy) Jernegan, and Lucy Danielle Parks; four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 1 at 3 p.m., Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1620 S. Stage Coach Lane.