Peggy Elizabeth (Gibson) Wright

Peggy Elizabeth Gibson Wright, age 94, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 21, 2019, at Pruitt Health Union Point in Monroe, NC, after a long battle with heart failure and dementia. She was surrounded by her loving family. Peggy was born in Laurens, SC, on August 15, 1925, an only child to Edna Louise Denman Gibson and Major Dye Gibson. Named Pearl Elizabeth Gibson at birth, her initials, PEG, became her name and hence it was changed to Peggy at age twenty. In latter years, the name Pearl became a nickname from loved ones around her, especially a certain son-in-law.

At a young age, Peggy‘s parents moved to Greenville, SC, where she grew up as a child of the great classics, from literature to music. The daughter of a school teacher, Peggy was schooled in the fine art of perfect English and all that goes with it. She was known to hide behind the sofa as a child while her mother taught elocution in their home to neighborhood children. Along with her mother, Peggy spent her first eighteen summers ensconced at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, home of the Western Conference of the Methodist Church. Loving Methodism as she did, Mother Gibson was certain sixteen-year-old Peggy would thrill at the prospect of a photo op with three dottering, elderly Methodist bishops. The picture hangs in a daughter‘s home.

Peggy graduated at age 16 1⁄2 from Greenville High School in Greenville, SC in 1942, where her senior yearbook caption read‚ “Like the moon, there‘s a man in her heart‘‘. She graduated with a liberal arts degree and a teaching certificate from Furman University in Greenville. Her early years of teaching were in Gastonia and Clemmons, NC.

While in Clemmons and after seeing an ad in the newspaper, Peggy jumped on a bus and rode into downtown Winston Salem in hopes of meeting the handsome new assistant manager of the J.C. Penney Store there. He was not there when she arrived, and Peggy left without leaving her name. Being a shrewd man and based on what she said while there, that assistant manager was able to determine who the attractive young blonde visitor was. Harold Wright found Peggy Gibson, the love of his life, and married her a few months later, on December 30, 1950. The wedding date was used again by her daughter Ruthie in 1988, and again by Ruthie’s son in 2016.

Peggy returned to teaching at Aycock Elementary in the Kannapolis city school system from 1965 to 1987, starting with the third grade then moving to the sixth grade after three years. At Aycock, Peggy led the annual spelling bee, helped put on many school plays, and shared her vast love of music with her students each day. She started the mornings off with songs and music, and her students loved it.

Peggy and Harold shared a love of music and were members of the Kannapolis Music Club for many years. They also loved playing bridge with their friends and frequently hosted bridge club in their Kannapolis home. She was a longtime member of the Kannapolis Junior Woman’s Club. Peggy and Harold chose Royal Oaks in Kannapolis as their home and raised their four daughters there. Peggy was a longtime member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Kannapolis, where she was a teacher, pianist, and active member of the United Methodist Women. She loved playing the piano and entertaining others.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents and by her loving husband of nearly 46 years, J. Harold Wright, Jr. She is survived by her four daughters, Karen L. Wright of Charlotte, Libby Wright Robinson and husband Tommy of Mint Hill, Ruthie Wright Roberts and husband John of Midland, and Robin Wright Thomas and husband Mark of Durham; grandchildren Katherine Louise Robinson of Charlotte, Peggy Elizabeth Robinson Barnett and husband Jonathan of Concord, Benjamin Roberts and wife Catharine of San Diego, CA, Reagan Wright Thomas and Ella Karen Thomas of Durham, and great grandson Bentley Thomas.

Peggy’s arrangements are being handled by Whitley’s of Kannapolis. A receiving will be held from 2pm-3pm on Friday, October 25, 2019, followed by a funeral service at 3pm officiated by Rev. Kirk Tutterow at Trinity United Methodist Church, 416 East First Street, Kannapolis, NC. Burial will follow at Carolina Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity UMC or Cabarrus Literacy Council at 27 Union Street North, Concord, NC 28025.

Online condolences may be left at www.whitleysfuneralhome.com.