Obituary of Lee Allen Wright

Lee Allen Wright was born in Hutchinson, Minnesota on February 27, 1950. He was the son of Woodrow and Carol (Koenig) Wright. Lee was baptized as an infant at Nazarene Church in Corvuso, Minnesota, and later confirmed in his faith as a youth. He received his education in Hutchinson MN. He was a graduate of the Hutchinson High School class of 1968. While in school he loved participating in sports.

Following graduation, Lee served his country in the United States Army. After basic training, he volunteered for Jump School in Fort Benning, Georgia, where he proved himself worthy of Airborne Wings. The majority of his enlistment was served at Fort Riley, Kansas, where his infantry unit undertook two training missions to Germany. He was involved in the NATO Operation “Reforger 1” on the Czechoslovakian border. One of Lee’s most cherished moments in his military service was being chosen to be part of the street honor guard for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s funeral procession in Kansas where he was serving a majority of his enlistment. Upon his honorable discharge, Lee moved back to his hometown of Hutchinson.

In 1969, Lee married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Lynn Kirchoff, and together they raised two children, Michelle and Tina. Later in life, they adopted their granddaughter, Kaitlyn.

Lee was proud to be a third-generation farmer on his family farm that he later owned. This had always been a dream of his. One cherished memory of his daughters is when they would help pack a lunch of sandwiches, cookies, and lemonade and bring it out to the field to eat and visit with him. He was always a very hard worker with an outstanding work ethic. Lee would typically work from sun up until sundown, with the exception of Sundays, when he would love to watch football or baseball on TV with a cold beer in his hand. In addition to farming, Lee was also employed at Green Giant, 3M, Hillyard, and later the City of Hutchinson, until retiring.

Lee was a selfless family man who worked hard so his family would never go without anything. He loved surprising his girls with gifts, family outings, and vacations. Family and friends were very important to him and he would always lend a hand when needed. Lee was always full of ideas and loved to share them in the hope of making someone else’s life easier. He provided guidance and strength to those who knew him. Some of his passions and hobbies included all things sports, playing Pinochle, Texas Hold ‘Em, Rummy, and “500” with his family and friends, and spending time at his family cabin out on the lake fishing or watching the loons. He loved hunting, spearfishing, coaching, planning class reunions, organizing softball games and tournaments, reading, and taking long drives in the car to visit his family and friends.

Lee will be remembered as a hardworking, family-oriented man with a big laugh and an amazing sense of humor. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

Lee passed away on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at Meeker Manor in Litchfield, Minnesota, at the age of 74 years.

Blessed be his memory.

Lee is survived by his:
Daughters, Michelle Wright of Zimmerman, MN,
Tina (Todd) Weber of Olivia, MN,
Kaitlyn Wright of Hutchinson, MN;
Grandchildren, Hannah (Ryan) Vlasak of Princeton, MN,
Hillary Karels of Zimmerman, MN,
Max (fiancé, Faith Quigley) Karels of Howard Lake, MN,
Meggie Turja of Zimmerman, MN,
Connor Weber and Camille Weber both of Olivia, MN;
Great-grandchildren, Zoey and Lexa Vlasak, Jackson, Zeke, and Colleen Lewandowski, Charlotte Karels;
Brother, Ken Wright of Caledonia, MN;
many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Lee is preceded in death by his Parents, Woodrow, and Carol Wright; Sisters, Joyce Hicks of San Angelo, TX, and Kathryn Clausen of LA Crescent, MN; Brother, Jerold “Jerry” Wright of Hutchinson, MN, and a brother in infancy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Disabled American Vets or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. These organizations were very dear to Lee’s heart.

The family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support during this difficult time and anyone who has touched Lee’s life and contributed to helping him have wonderful memories.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, Aug 3rd. Peace Lutheran Church is located at 400 Franklin St SW, Hutchinson, MN 55350. Visitation starts at 10:00 am with the memorial starting at 11:00 am. Military Honors provided by Silver Lake American Legion.

The family invites everyone to the luncheon at the church immediately following military honors.