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WRIGHT, GENE - went to meet his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Monday Oct 4, 2010 at Mercy Hospital North. Gene was a 32nd degree mason and a veteran of the United States Army. Gene grew up in Caryville and starred in basketball at Jacksboro High School. He went on to play basketball and baseball at LMU and was later inducted into the LMU athletes Hall of Fame. After his service in the army, he coached high school basketball at Powell Valley, Rule, Jacksboro and Lake City. In 1973 he decided to impact student in a different way and moved into administration, where he served as principal at Lake City until it closed in 1982 and later at Anderson County High School. Gene loved teaching and coaching and making a difference in the lives of the young men and women at the high school level as their principal. After his retirement he became very active in the Holston rose society and loved growing roses. Gene was inducted in the Anderson County Hall of fame in 2008. He was a member of 1st Baptist Church in Lake City for over 47 years where he was a deacon and taught Sunday School. He is preceded in death by his father and mother Rev. JW Wright and Eliza Wright, brothers Neville, Warren and Bob and sister Mae Taylor. Gene is survived by wife of 53 years, Jimmie Ann of Lake City, daughter Julie Minton and husband Steve of New Tazewell. Son Jody and wife Kim of Clinton, sisters Nadine and Marguerite of Caryville and grandchildren Lauren, Michael and Mollie. Family will receive friends on Thursday October 7th from 4:00 - 7:00 with the service to follow at 1st Baptist Church Lake City. Grave side services will be Friday at 11:00 at Grandview cemetery in Clinton. Services will be conducted by Rev. Charles Noss, Rev. Brian Courtney an grave side services by Rev. Wayne Phillips. Gene requested that in lieu of flowers, gifts be made to Galilee Bible Camp which his father established at 586 Camp Galilee Rd, Lafollette, TN 37766 or Fulton High School basketball team at 2509 Broadway Knoxville, TN 37917, where his son Jody is the coach.
Published in Knoxville News Sentinel on October 6, 2010