Joyie Lou Ennis Wright was born January 1, 1940, in Erwin, North Carolina. She was the third of four girls. Her parents were Eugene Gales Ennis and Mary Maude Tripp. Her sisters from oldest to youngest were Mary Faye White, DeAnna Gail Denning, Joyie Lou Wright and Jonnie Jean Kim. All of her sisters preceded her death. Her husband was James Lee Wright of North Carolina and retired from the Air Force and became a realtor until his passing in 1994 in Israel.

In 1965 we moved to Hampton, Virginia. She was employed as a legal secretary by State Senator Hunter B Andrews, Congressman Thomas Downing and soon to be Judge Durden. The firm split up and she stayed with the State Senator, Hunter B. Andrews. She worked for Mr. Andrews for 38 years before retiring.

She was an active member of Fox Hill Road Church. She was Church Secretary and served as secretary to many different committees. She was instrumental on finding a new pastor when the current pastor retired.

As a legal secretary she was a member and served as President, Vice President and numerous other positions of the National Association of Legal Secretaries.

She was a member of the Wythe Junior Women’s Club and helped in making a cookbook for the organization among other civic duties.

After retiring she spent a few years living in their Lake House in North Carolina. Her sister Mary Faye had moved to Florida and found out she had breast cancer. Joyie sold her lake house and moved to Estero to be with her sister in 2000. Later her second sister, DeAnna passed away in 2006 from lung cancer and they went to North Carolina to bring the youngest sister Jonnie Jean to Florida. Glenn Byrd, Mary Faye’s son moved to Florida during that time.

Mary Faye had pancreatic cancer and passed away in 2013. Shortly after, her youngest sister Jonnie Jean passed away in 2014 of colon cancer metastasized to lung cancer.

She was an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, Florida. She served as secretary to numerous committees, organized and implemented the toys for children in Bonita Springs area for children without toys, was a leader in the “Apples of Gold” for young women soon to be getting married, was a member of the Great Banquet and lead her group and also spoke and participated in each years volunteer programs, was an usher in the Bonita Forum and Concert Series, was deacon and elder of the church.

She moved to South Port Square, Port Charlotte in 2022 to be closer to her daughter and grandson. She continued to listen to First Presbyterian pod casts and she attended Heritage Baptist as often as she could. When she could not attend she listened to Heritage’s sermons on FaceBook.

Joyie will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and numerous friends she met along her journey of life. 

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