Dr. Harper Wright

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Dr. Harper Wright died April 5, 2009.

The Grandview, Ark., native was born March 24, 1924. Dr. Wright received his primary and high school education at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn. He was the youngest child of a widowed Oklahoma physician. The Webb School experience was an influential part of his early years. He attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville and finished his undergraduate pre-med curriculum in three years, graduating in 1944. Dr. Wright graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School in 1947. His internship and initial residency in pathology was at Baroness/Erlanger in Chattanooga, Tenn. In 1956 he completed his OB/GYN residence at the University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville. Dr. Wright served as a flight surgeon with the Navy during the Korean War on Midway Island in the Pacific. He served for three years and attained the rank of lieutenant commander. He joined Graves Gilbert Clinic in 1956 and was the primary OB/GYN serving Warren County. He was affiliated with The Medical Center at Bowling Green, Greenview Regional Hospital in Bowling Green, Allen County War Memorial in Scottsville and Park Place Recovery Center in Bowling Green. Dr. Wright received board certification from the American Society of Addiction Medicine at Rutgers University in 1986. He served as an advocate to people all across the community in need of help with any addiction-related problem. This was his true passion and his gift to those in need. This part of his life is the legacy he leaves after serving the Warren County medical community for more than 50 years. Through his professional medical practice and his ministry in the addiction community, Dr. Wright lived a life of service.

Memorial service is at noon Wednesday at Christ Episcopal Church. There is a reception at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the church parlor. Johnson-Vaughn-Phelps Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Linda Hill; a son, Harper Wright III and his wife, Leigh Ann; two daughters, Gail McGuffey and her husband, Harold, and Lynn Yeilding and her husband, Richard, of Birmingham, Ala.; nine grandchildren, Lauren Wright Cron, Lisa Wright, Leigh Harper Wright, Harper McGuffey Honan and her husband, Mat, of San Francisco, Lee McGuffey and his wife, Rachel, of Salt Lake City, Hampton Yeilding Stephens and her husband, Bart, Thomas Yeilding and Gail Harper Yeilding, all of Birmingham, and Dr. Ruth Hill Yeilding of Nashville; and five great-grandchildren, Dawson Cron, Joshua Cron, Haley Cron, James Milton Stephens and Mose Robinson Stephens. He is also survived by Tom Wright and his wife, Lutherine, of Davidson, Okla.; and his dog, Sonny.