Aged
58
Parents
Viva (Downer) Wright
Walter Clyde Wright Jr.
Brother
Thomas Wright
Sister In-Law
Carol (Embry) Wright
Niece & Nephew
Katie Wright
Matthew Wright
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Timothy C. Wright, 58, of Burbank, CA, a published award-winning playwright, devoted teacher and director passed away suddenly on Dec. 2, 2011, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Tim was born and raised in northern California where he received his BA in Theater Arts from CSU-Sacramento and his MFA in Dramatic Art from UC-Davis.
Tim resided in southern California for over 30 years. His plays have been produced in New Zealand, Switzerland, England, Canada, Austria, and across the United States. He has taught drama and directed productions at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, CA for the past 19 yrs., receiving awards for Outstanding Teacher from the University of Chicago in 2000, Who's Who in America's Teachers in 2002, 2005, 2006 and Teacher Making a Difference, presented by the California State Senate, California State Assembly and California Board of Equalization in 2006. Professionally, Tim had worked for ABC-TV, NBC-TV, Osmond Television Entertainment, and recently co-wrote a screenplay of George R.R. Martin's "In The Lost Lands" for director Constantin Werner ("Dead Leaves," "The Pagan Queen") and producer Teddy Zee ("Charlie's Angels," "The Pursuit of Happyness").
Tim was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Viva Downer Wright, and father, Walter C. Wright both of northern California. He is survived by his brother Tom Wright, sister-in-law Carol Embry Wright, niece Katie Wright and nephew Matthew Wright of Las Vegas, NV, friends and colleagues across the U.S. and around the world, and the many students, faculty, and administrative staff of the Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, CA, whom he greatly admired and thought of as his family.
Viewing
Held on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011
6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Hills, Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary
Funeral
Held in the Old North Church
2:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011
6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Hills, Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In Memoriam: Timothy Wright
by a student of his at Westridge
Tim Wright, Middle and Upper School teacher and director of Westridge's drama productions, was the goofy, magical uncle you never had. If you walked out of rehearsal to go to the bathroom, he would instruct the cast to stare blankly into one corner, stifling their nervous giggles as you walk back into the room. He would entertain you by guessing what color hair you had (he was colorblind.) If lights were dim, he never hesitated to frighten you with the eeriest stories ever uttered on the Westridge campus. Whether Mr. Wright really did encounter a roomful of mannequins, or did see the ghostly girl with the chipped tooth didn't matter. You were frightened; you twitched at the sight of the cotton-filled stocking dummies strewn across the green room, and you never looked at people's teeth the same way again.
Mr. Wright's stories were entrancing, and you wanted to hear them all. His office was never empty after school. Between bites of ice-cream sandwiches or sips of tea that you dutifully brought to him from the Commons, Mr. Wright would draw you in with one of his puns or recent cell phone pictures of his two kittens, but many of his stories were beautiful and poignant.
"I saw my father's ghost a few years ago," he said last year. He described the perfection of the image he saw, from "the exact tilt of his fedora" to "the wrinkles on his suit." The figure, which he neither confirmed nor denied was the true vestige of his father, gave him an odd sense of peace. He smiled at us. I and the others huddled around me looked at each other in quiet understanding – we were all touched.
Mr. Wright passed away this weekend, leaving behind generations of students who knew him as a hero. He knew how to find the musicality in every actor, writer and director. He knew the rhythms, the melodies, of heated dialogues, or pleading monologues. When he instructed his actors to be crisp as fresh iceberg lettuce, or to swagger in real-time like John Wayne, he created fearless performers. He held your hand and guided you to the height of expression.
He was accomplished: after receiving his MFA in Dramatic Art with honors from University of California, Davis, he became a celebrated playwright and director, with his plays showing across the world, from New Zealand to Switzerland. However, Mr. Wright made his home here at Westridge, as a director and teacher for almost 20 years. Through his inspiring direction, he heightened the standard of high-school theater, and others saw this. He received University of Chicago's Outstanding Teacher award in 2000, the Who's Who in America's Teachers award in 2002, 2005, 2006, and was recognized as a Teacher Making a Difference by the California State Senate, California State Assembly, and California Board of Equalization in 2006.
The day before he passed away on Friday evening, Mr. Wright asked Head of School Elizabeth McGregor to deliver words of encouragement to the cast of Steel Magnolias, the last production he would oversee during his 19-year career at Westridge: "Take your leap with me, and skip and dance and prove that you can't fall off the mountain when you have magic and golden love in your heart – and realize, that I will be right beside you."
A tribute assembly for Tim Wright was held on Friday, Dec. 9 at 9:30 A.M.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank You
To All who leave a flower and kind note for Tim
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Special Thank You
Graver: Betty Allaire
For her kindness in researching and providing grave location and plot information
Graver: Steve Smith
For his beautiful photograph of Tim's headstone & the time he took to take, upload & share it with us.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Aged
58
Parents
Viva (Downer) Wright
Walter Clyde Wright Jr.
Brother
Thomas Wright
Sister In-Law
Carol (Embry) Wright
Niece & Nephew
Katie Wright
Matthew Wright
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Timothy C. Wright, 58, of Burbank, CA, a published award-winning playwright, devoted teacher and director passed away suddenly on Dec. 2, 2011, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. Tim was born and raised in northern California where he received his BA in Theater Arts from CSU-Sacramento and his MFA in Dramatic Art from UC-Davis.
Tim resided in southern California for over 30 years. His plays have been produced in New Zealand, Switzerland, England, Canada, Austria, and across the United States. He has taught drama and directed productions at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, CA for the past 19 yrs., receiving awards for Outstanding Teacher from the University of Chicago in 2000, Who's Who in America's Teachers in 2002, 2005, 2006 and Teacher Making a Difference, presented by the California State Senate, California State Assembly and California Board of Equalization in 2006. Professionally, Tim had worked for ABC-TV, NBC-TV, Osmond Television Entertainment, and recently co-wrote a screenplay of George R.R. Martin's "In The Lost Lands" for director Constantin Werner ("Dead Leaves," "The Pagan Queen") and producer Teddy Zee ("Charlie's Angels," "The Pursuit of Happyness").
Tim was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Viva Downer Wright, and father, Walter C. Wright both of northern California. He is survived by his brother Tom Wright, sister-in-law Carol Embry Wright, niece Katie Wright and nephew Matthew Wright of Las Vegas, NV, friends and colleagues across the U.S. and around the world, and the many students, faculty, and administrative staff of the Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, CA, whom he greatly admired and thought of as his family.
Viewing
Held on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011
6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Hills, Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary
Funeral
Held in the Old North Church
2:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, 2011
6300 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles, CA
Hollywood Hills, Forest Lawn Memorial Park & Mortuary
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In Memoriam: Timothy Wright
by a student of his at Westridge
Tim Wright, Middle and Upper School teacher and director of Westridge's drama productions, was the goofy, magical uncle you never had. If you walked out of rehearsal to go to the bathroom, he would instruct the cast to stare blankly into one corner, stifling their nervous giggles as you walk back into the room. He would entertain you by guessing what color hair you had (he was colorblind.) If lights were dim, he never hesitated to frighten you with the eeriest stories ever uttered on the Westridge campus. Whether Mr. Wright really did encounter a roomful of mannequins, or did see the ghostly girl with the chipped tooth didn't matter. You were frightened; you twitched at the sight of the cotton-filled stocking dummies strewn across the green room, and you never looked at people's teeth the same way again.
Mr. Wright's stories were entrancing, and you wanted to hear them all. His office was never empty after school. Between bites of ice-cream sandwiches or sips of tea that you dutifully brought to him from the Commons, Mr. Wright would draw you in with one of his puns or recent cell phone pictures of his two kittens, but many of his stories were beautiful and poignant.
"I saw my father's ghost a few years ago," he said last year. He described the perfection of the image he saw, from "the exact tilt of his fedora" to "the wrinkles on his suit." The figure, which he neither confirmed nor denied was the true vestige of his father, gave him an odd sense of peace. He smiled at us. I and the others huddled around me looked at each other in quiet understanding – we were all touched.
Mr. Wright passed away this weekend, leaving behind generations of students who knew him as a hero. He knew how to find the musicality in every actor, writer and director. He knew the rhythms, the melodies, of heated dialogues, or pleading monologues. When he instructed his actors to be crisp as fresh iceberg lettuce, or to swagger in real-time like John Wayne, he created fearless performers. He held your hand and guided you to the height of expression.
He was accomplished: after receiving his MFA in Dramatic Art with honors from University of California, Davis, he became a celebrated playwright and director, with his plays showing across the world, from New Zealand to Switzerland. However, Mr. Wright made his home here at Westridge, as a director and teacher for almost 20 years. Through his inspiring direction, he heightened the standard of high-school theater, and others saw this. He received University of Chicago's Outstanding Teacher award in 2000, the Who's Who in America's Teachers award in 2002, 2005, 2006, and was recognized as a Teacher Making a Difference by the California State Senate, California State Assembly, and California Board of Equalization in 2006.
The day before he passed away on Friday evening, Mr. Wright asked Head of School Elizabeth McGregor to deliver words of encouragement to the cast of Steel Magnolias, the last production he would oversee during his 19-year career at Westridge: "Take your leap with me, and skip and dance and prove that you can't fall off the mountain when you have magic and golden love in your heart – and realize, that I will be right beside you."
A tribute assembly for Tim Wright was held on Friday, Dec. 9 at 9:30 A.M.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thank You
To All who leave a flower and kind note for Tim
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Special Thank You
Graver: Betty Allaire
For her kindness in researching and providing grave location and plot information
Graver: Steve Smith
For his beautiful photograph of Tim's headstone & the time he took to take, upload & share it with us.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Inscription
Timothy C. Wright
September 8, 1953 – December 2, 2011
Beloved Son, Brother, Uncle
Playwright, Teacher, Friend
"....And, Learn To Fly...."
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement