John Wright

John Kelvedon Wright, age 80 of New Smyrna Beach, Florida passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on March 9, 2022. John was born on December 22, 1941 to Richard and Louise Wright in Erie, PA.

John graduated from Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, PA in 1960 and received his BS in Business Administration from Parsons College in Fairfield, IA in 1965. While taking post-graduate classes at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, he met his wife Linda, whom he married there in 1967. At the time of his marriage, he was serving in the United States Army at Fort Benning, GA. After being discharged in 1968, he returned to Erie to join the family business, Reed Manufacturing Co. where he would later become Executive Vice President and serve as Secretary of the board of directors. He was active in fundraising for United Way at Reed, and served on the board of the Erie County Historical Society; where he was active for many years. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, where he served as a deacon for several years.

John was an avid car and racing enthusiast from a young age. He was an Alfa Romeo guy since he was a boy, and owned and worked on several over the years. He was a long time member of the Alfa Owners Club, and participated in many of their events around the country. His retirement passion project was fully restoring his 1966 Alfa GTA, for which he won several awards at events around the country. He was a founding member of the Sports Car Club of America Misery Bay Region, where he participated in auto crossing events over the years. His love of racing would bring him and Linda to New Smyrna Beach, FL partly for its proximity to Daytona and Sebring racetracks where he would volunteer and work the races.

John is preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his wife of 54 years Linda; his three children Emily, Susan, Thomas and his wife Deborah and their three children Amelia, Hannah and Reuben Wright; and his sister Elizabeth Daum.

 Friends are invited to call on the family Monday, April 11, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Burton Quinn Scott Cremation & Funeral Service Inc. Downtown 602 W. 10^th Street, Erie. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family.

Send Condolences to www.BurtonQuinnScott.com