Charles Kemp Wright Sr.
Atlanta, Ga.
Charles Kemp Wright Sr., age 94, died at Canterbury Court on the evening of Sunday, May 22, 2022. The son of Robert F. Wright and Jessie Murphey, Charlie was born on Feb. 9, 1928, in Knoxville, Tenn. After graduating with honors from the Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Emory University, Charlie entered the Emory School of Medicine followed by an internship in Boston, two years in the Air Force and a four-year residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Woman’s Hospital, New York City.
After marriage to Edith Parker Redway in Washington, D.C., in 1961, they moved to Atlanta, where Dr. Charles B. Upshaw invited Charlie to join his practice at Piedmont Hospital.
Charlie was preceded in death by his wife, Edie. He is survived by his three children: Margaret Read (Harold); Charles Jr. (Ginger); Robert (Melissa); and five grandchildren — Alexandria, Nathan, Katherine, Molly and Mason Wright.
Charlie served on the vestry at St. Luke’s Church, where he was one of three laymen to form the Training and Counseling Center. He served as TACC’s chairman of the board for 14 years. He was a founding member of the Young Men’s Round Table at the High Museum of Art. In addition, Charlie served with Mark Pentecost as trustees of the Shallenberger Foundation.
After retiring from medical practice in 1993, Charlie earned an MA degree in English literature from Georgia State University. He and Edie spent all their summers on Little Cranberry Island, where they had a house. Charlie was an avid gardener and cook. He and Edie were the consummate hosts and loved traveling and meeting new people.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 28, at 2 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charlie’s memory to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308; Training and Counseling Center at St. Luke’s, 435 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308; or Cranberry Isles Fire and Rescue P.O. Box 56, Islesford, ME 04646.