Obituary of Michael Wright

The family of Michael Wright regretfully announces his death, which occurred on Monday, September 28, 2020 at the Dr. Everett Chalmer’s Hospital Palliative Care Unit. Michael Wright, loving husband, father, and grandfather passed away at the age of 65. He is survived, and will greatly missed by his wife, Bernice Poirier; his mother, Germaine Wright; his children, Kerri LeBlanc (Jean-Marc), Eric Wright (Natasha Young), and Lindsay Hood (James Gowdy); his stepdaughter, Monique Babineau (Mario Leger); his 6 precious grandchildren, Ryan, Jack, Sadie, Max, Paisley, and Lillian; his siblings; Diane Lanteigne (Don -deceased), Murray Wright (Barb), Ellen Wright, Janet Wright, Gordon Wright, and Paul Wright. Mike retired after working 16 years at NB Power, mainly as a meter reader and in the stores department. Family was most important to Mike. He was very dedicated to, and protective of, his family. Mike had a calm quiet strength, and he was always there to listen, and to give his most thoughtful advice to those he loved. He checked in on his family and always let them know he was there to listen and lend a hand. Through actions and words, he always let his children and grandchildren know how much he loved them, and that he was proud of them. His siblings affectionately nicknamed him Thumper in his childhood for his fascination with the rabbit from the movie Bambi. Mike never lost his fun loving character. He jumped at the chance to have fun with his grandchildren -- whether it was creating a great treasure hunt on a beach with sticks and loonies, or chasing the kids around the house as a powerful dinosaur, or as "the claw"-- he never lost that playful and fun way about him. Mike loved to tease his loved ones, especially his siblings, about how he was sure he was his Mom’s favourite. Mike loved his hockey. He remembered watching the Leafs win the Cup as a child, and was a fan from that time on. He never wavered in his loyalty to that team, and he proudly wore the Leaf’s logo on his ball cap and touque. Bernice drew the line at letting him decorate their Christmas tree in Toronto Maple Leafs paraphernalia, but he always found a spot in the back to hang just one! He enjoyed bantering with fans of other teams about his Leafs. His favourite hockey player of all time was not Dave Keon (who came in a close second), but his grandson Jack who he took to practises, games and tournaments. Jack’s teammates and their families enjoyed Mike’s team spirit. Everyone wanted to sit next to him in the stands to listen to his upbeat and thoughtful commentaries on the game at hand. The coaches and team declared Mike the team mascot in Jack’s final year of hockey, he was presented a medal, and this touched his heart deeply. Mike was a very loving and dedicated husband and partner to Bernice. He had a fierce love and loyalty for her, and was always her greatest supporter. They enjoyed travelling together down South, and had a truly memorable time in Hawaii. He made friends fast. He was always so pleasant, kind, and ready with a joke. He treasured his vacation memories of visiting his son Eric and Nastasha out West, where they travelled to the Rockies and enjoyed the beautiful and breathtaking scenery. Mike and Bernice enjoyed a good game of golf. He loved spending his days at Kingswood with their good friends Bob and Ginette. Mike and Bob had an ongoing joke that they were turtledoves. He had such a respect and deep caring for his close friends. Family meant everything to Mike. We always knew we could come to him for advice, love, and support. He is treasured and will be dearly missed. He lives on through his children and grandchildren and through the memories of all of the lives that he touched. The family would like to send out a special thank you to the many doctors who cared for him during his illness. Special thanks to: Dr. Sunita MacMullin, Dr. Irene Vasiliu, Dr. Kate Hadley, as well as the wonderful nurses and staff at the Rehabilitation and Palliative Care Units at the DECH. Also, a special thank you to his nurse ‘Greg’ who was so kind, encouraging, and helpful. In keeping with Michael’s wishes, there will be no visitation. A private family service will take place at Holy Family Catholic Church. For those who wish, memorial donations may be made to Autism Connection Fredericton and Canadian Cancer Society.