Colonel Dean E. Wright, Jr. (Ret.), 92, of Farmingdale, NJ, passed away surrounded by family members on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, NJ.
Always a gentleman, his dedication to family, God and country was unwavering. His aim in life was to see others happy and nothing brought him more joy than to fulfill the needs of his family and community. His philanthropy to the many charities he supported came freely and generously. He supported the arts with equal fervor and the various bricks and plaques honoring his philanthropy will be a testament to that fact for years to come. A veteran of three foreign wars and two branches of the military, his service to his country was steadfast and impressive. Despite his highly accomplished and decorated military career and equally lengthy civilian career (he finally retired at the age of 89), he derived his greatest joy connecting with the people he loved and always making time for God, nature and the simple pleasures in life. He enjoyed mornings in his sunroom overlooking his backyard, afternoons doing yard work on “Dean’s Farm” in preparation for hosting family pool parties, and viewing the weekly lottery drawing in the hopes of hitting the Powerball and donating all his winnings to charity. In the end, he lived a beautifully simple life but was anything but a simple man. His quick hello and always ready smile will be missed by all those who have been touched by him.
Born September 4, 1924 in LeRoy, NY, he was the son of the late Dean E. and Ruth (Wallace) Wright. He was predeceased by his stepmother, Ann (Porter) Wright, his wife, Kathryn Fletcher Wright, and his brother, Thomas Wright. He is survived by his wife, Annette Caron LeGrand Wright; his children, Dean E. Wright, III, and his wife, Karina, of Azalea Park, FL and Jennifer (Wright) Haberstick and her husband, Michael, of Belmar, NJ; step-children, Paul LeGrand and his wife, Arlene, of Plainfield, NJ; Stephen LeGrand of Tinton Falls, NJ; Therese (LeGrand) Danek and her husband, Richard, of Newtown, PA; Janine (LeGrand) Casey and her husband, Thomas, of Clinton, NJ and Charles A. LeGrand and his partner, Emma Bee, of Plainfield, NJ; and grandchildren, Diana Wright, Dean E. Wright IV, T. Daniel Haberstick, Hannah Haberstick, Alexander LeGrand, Nicholas LeGrand, Mason Danek, Caitlin Casey, Emeline Casey, Liam Casey and Aidan Casey. He is survived by his brothers, Robert of Mesa, AZ and John of Leesburg, VA and step-brother, Norman Porter of Quakertown, PA.
A veteran of three foreign wars and member of two branches of the military, Col. Wright was a highly decorated, career military officer specializing in research and development. His awards included two Legion of Merit Awards, the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Medal with Palm, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and nine Overseas Service Bars.
His accomplishments included responsibility for the deployment of a new concept, high-speed attack helicopter - the AH-1G Cobra and serving as the lead engineer for later improvements to the aircraft. Col. Wright also served as Project Engineer in the development of the XV4 Hummingbird for which he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award and Assistant Project Engineer in the development of the XV10 Fan-in-Wing aircraft. He also developed an indicator that would alert helicopter pilots when their transmission was about to fail. As Chief of the Technical Support Division of the Army Aviation Maintenance Center in Germany, he authored a series of pamphlets which provided instructions to aircraft maintenance personnel on how to make quick checks of modifications made to aircraft in Europe. Before long these pamphlets found application worldwide and he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his achievement.
His service to his country began during World War II as a member of the US Navy in the Pacific theater. He was a seaman aboard the USS Electra for the liberation of the Marshall Islands and aboard the USS Douglas H. Fox for operations in the South China Sea where it came under kamikaze attack. Following his experience in the Pacific, he entered the US Army and served at posts in the US and overseas including France and Germany. Col. Wright served two tours in Vietnam including an assignment as Transportation Officer General on General William Westmoreland’s staff during the buildup of US forces and as Deputy Commander Transportation Command in the Saigon and southern Vietnam area including Port Operations and Watercraft Operation in the Mekong Delta. During his service in Vietnam, Col. Wright was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his achievements in establishing the capability of vehicles to operate in remote areas. Following his service during the Vietnam War, Col. Wright became Commander of US Army Aviation Engineering Test Activity at Edwards Air Force Base followed by Deputy Director of Armament Research and Development at the US Army Ordnance Laboratory in Rock Island, IL. Col. Wright completed his military service in 1981 as Director of Technical Support at the US Army Armament Research and Development Command at Picatinny Arsenal in NJ.
Upon retiring from military service, Col. Wright began a 32 year civilian career serving as government property administrator and security officer responsible for security and transportation of classified hardware both in country and overseas and coordination with the Department of Defense and Department of State. These positions were held at Frequency Engineering Laboratories in Farmingdale, NJ and EPS in Tinton Falls, NJ. He retired in 2013 at the age of 89.
An avid student throughout his life, Col. Wright received a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; a Master of Science in Engineering from Princeton University; and a Master of Science in System Engineering, a Master of Science in Contract Management and Acquisition, and a Master of Business Administration (Logistics) all from Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, he completed all computer science courses offered by Brookdale Community College.
His service to his profession and community included serving as Chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Classification Management Society for seven years and Trustee of St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church in Farmingdale, NJ and volunteering with his local March of Dimes, Knights of Columbus and American Legion organizations. He was a generous supporter of many organizations including the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Catherine of Siena Church, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Count Basie Theatre.
A visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524) Freehold Township on Sunday, November 27, 2016 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the funeral home on Monday, November 28, 2016 at 10:00 AM for the procession to his 11:00 AM Funeral Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 31 Asbury Road, Farmingdale. Interment will be held at the convenience of the family in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. For those who desire, memorial contributions in Col. Wright’s name may be made to the St. Vincent De Paul Society at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For complete obituary information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.

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