Donna Wright

Our Mama, Donna Marie Ozancin Wright, passed away peacefully on April 8th, 2019. Her husband, Bill, and daughter, Ann, were by her side. Donna was born in Bingham, Utah, on November 16.1930 to the parents of Louis and Ruth Ozancin. She grew up on a 50-acre farm at the bottom of Big Cottonwood Canyon, in a small town called Butlerville, near Salt Lake City. One of her daily chores was to trek up Ferguson Canyon to fill up two buckets of water and bring them back home. This was a year-around task that could be quite trying in the winter. The summers  were all about gardening. She tended to the fruit trees and preserving the abundance of produce. It was a neighborhood affair. There were 15 families in the town, and many  of them came to reap the harvest. According to Donna’s sister Patty, Donna was the one that kept the assembly line going. Later, her father built the Canyon Inn, and Donna stayed busy working there in addition to her routine activities. Donna graduated high school in 1949, and worked her way up through various professional roles to become the Secretary for the President of the S & L. Donna met her husband, Mr. Right spelled with a W, dancing at a club called ‘The Rendezvous’; which still stands today. Bill proposed on New Year’s Eve in 1954, and they were married on May 21, 1955 at St.Vincent de Paul Church. After Bill concluded his education in 1959, they settled in Grand Junction, Colorado. Donna earned a degree in teaching in 1974 from Western State College. She taught 2nd Grade at Lincoln Park Elementary, and was adored by students and parents alike. Bill and Donna built their dream home and moved their family in on Christmas Day 1968. After the couple retired, they spent many years snow-birding in Texas and Arizona, as well as California after their grandchildren were born. Fishing was their favorite hobby, and they found a nice private campground at Blue Mesa Reservoir with more than a dozen of other couples. The spent over a decade socializing with these friends and fishing for Kokanee Salmon. It was the highlight of their retirement. She is survived by her loving husband Bill Wright, and their three children, Edward Wright, James Wright, and Ann Wright Gabbett; along with Ann’s husband Ron Gabbett, and her children, Garrett Beigle, Gregory Beigle, and Lauren Mikus, Gregory’s wife. A private memorial is being held in Cedaredge, Colorado. The family would like to thank the hospice nurses and staff for their compassion and knowledge. Donna will be remembered for her faith, heart, and enthusiasm for life.