Obituary

Charlie wright, dentist and avid outdoorsman, died on tuesday in charleston. He was 72.

The cause was pulmonary embolism following routine surgery.

Charlie loved mountains and the rivers that run through them. He was most at home rafting the new and gauley rivers, skiing at canaan valley, timberline, white grass, and dolly sods, or relaxing on the kanawha river. His annual pilgrimage to the salmon river in idaho brought him closest to religious experience. His love of the outdoors was infectious, as his sons, his friends, and many boy scouts knew. He planned great trips, he was an engaging and fearless guide, and knew how to get into and out of trouble in ways that made for great stories around the campfire. After retiring from 40 years of providing dental care to several generations of charlestonians, charlie’s love of the water became a full-time passion when he bought an old lobster boat and restored it from the beams up, teaching himself wood-working along the way. The name he chose for the boat perfectly summed up charlie’s approach to life: he fully appreciated that you only live once and made sure his chance was full of adventure and good friends.

Charles ermen wright, jr. Was born august 1, 1945, in charleston to the former katherine amos (a school teacher) and charles ermen wright (a colonel in the united states army). He earned bachelor’s and doctor of dental surgery degrees from west virginia university. He then set up his dental practice in south hills, close to his childhood home, where he helped a lot of people overcome their fear of dentists.

He is survived by his wife bernadine wright, his two sons charles (marni) of seattle and andy (willow) of alexandria, va, his step-son robert turley of salt lake city, his sister karen readshaw (ron) of charleston, four grandchildren, two dogs, and many friends. We will miss his warm smile, generous heart, deep thoughts, stubborn persistence, irreverence, and nose for adventure.

A celebration of charlie’s life will be held later this year at a time and place to be determined. Memorial donations can be made to the kanawha-charleston humane association or the boy scouts of america, buckskin council. Condolences to the family may be sent through barlow bonsall funeral home in charleston.