Paul Wesley ‘Sleepy’ Wright

Paul Wesley “Sleepy” Wright, a retired Electrical Engineer, went home to be with Jesus and his loving wife Donna on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, at his daughter’s home in Springville, Ala. He and his wife Donna Slater Wright had lived in Tallahassee, Fla. from 1992-2017. He was 96 years old.

Paul was born in Hayland in the Union Pacific Railroad Station (their home) on Oct. 8, 1927, the son of Pearl L. and Raymond A. Wright (the U.P. Depot Agent). The Village of Hayland is no longer on the map. He grew up during the depression, living in small towns along the railroad as his father was a telegrapher for the railroad. He remembered not being able to buy candy because “the bank was broke,” having to put rags over their mouths during the May Day dust storm, and transporting goats to their new home in the ‘29 Whippet. He attended high school from 1941 to 1945 in Genoa, which he considered his home town. All the guys in Genoa had nicknames and he was affectionately known as “Sleepy.” He played on the football team, ran the movies at the movie theater and delivered the milk.

As soon as he turned 18, in October of 1945, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he served from 1945 to 1948. He is officially a World War II and Atomic Veteran. He went to movie operator school and ran the movies for the Navy too! In 1946 he participated in Operation Crossroads, the two atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The ionizing radiation present at Bikini caused cancer to develop in his minor salivary glands, which was first detected in 1985. No amount of ionizing radiation is safe.

He attended Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Ga., and received a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (BEE) degree in 1953. He retired from Sperry Gyroscope/Unisys in December 1986. While with Sperry he worked with equipment for U.S. Air Force bombers, U.S. Navy submarines and surface ships, and NOAA data buoys. He was a member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee. He was also a member of The National Association of Atomic Veterans (NAAV) and the American Legion.

Survivors include his two sons, Paul Douglas Wright (Kath) of Richmond, Va., and Daniel Wright (Pat) of Charlottesville, Va.; four daughters, Deborah Wright of Charlottesville, Va., Deana Desjardins of Waynesboro, Va., Paula Suzanne Thompson (Joel) of Springville, Ala., and Christina Wright (Courtney) of Curacao; two sisters, Charlotte Wood (age 100) of Walla Walla, Wash., and Ruth Wilcox (age 98) of Fort Worth, Texas; 12 grandchildren, Tim Wright (Greta), Mary Mason Boaz (Matt) and Nancy Wright; Taylor Wright and Samuel Wright (Alexis); Tariq Bokhari (Krista), Corey Desjardins (Colleen), Jaid Desjardins; Ashley Thompson and Ella Thompson; Tanya Baugher (Kenney) and Tara Morris (Roger); 16 great-grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Donna Slater Wright; his parents, Pearl and Raymond Wright; his brother, Raymond A. Wright Jr.; his sisters Mary Greene, Martha Wright, and Naomi Moody; and two grandchildren, Caroline Wright and Logan Desjardins.

The family will receive friends at Bevis Funeral Home, 200 John Knox Road in Tallahassee, Fla., at 10 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2024, and the service will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the Tallahassee National Cemetery at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Faith Presbyterian Church, 2200 N. Meridian Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303 or to the Genoa U.S. Indian School Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 382, Genoa, NE 68640-0382.

Kelly Barber of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www. bevisfh.com) is assisting the Wright family with their arrangements.