Posted by Ken Kurtis on October 29, 2004 at 13:20:43:
I just wanted to send out a quick note to let you know that Billy's dad, Bill Wright Sr., has died after a long struggle with Alzheimer's. Bill died peacefully at home around Noon today with son Billy and wife Jean at his side. It's never easy in time like this but I just got off the phone with Billy who said, "He's in a better place now."
For those of you who were not familiar with Billy's dad, he was somewhat of a scuba pioneer and explorer, opening Sunland Sports Lodge in Beverly Hills (the forerunner to Reef Seekers) with Jean back in 1954. Bill and Jean ran the store (in various locations) until the mid-80s. Bill was also a relentless shipwreck explorer, always convinced he was going to find the next big wreck. Because he read Portuguese (he was originally from Brazil) he made frequent trips to Spain and Portugal to research original documents concerning shipwrecks. And while he never found that legendary big wreck, the Wright's house was full of fascinating artifacts that Bill pulled up out of the ocean over the years. And when anyone visited, Bill was always eager to share the story behind his finds.
Billy and I talked the other day about the biggest irony off all of this - although Bill was not a baseball fan (he was more of a soccer guy) he was born in 1918 and has now died in 2004. 1918 is the year the Red Sox last won a World Series and you know what happened this year.
There will be a private graveside service sometime early next week but there are also plans for a memorial service to be held at a church in Studio City in a week or so. We'll keep you posted as to what's happening when for those of you who want to attend.
In the meantime, if you'd like to send a note to Billy, he can be reached at wrightdiver@adelphia.net . On behalf of Billy and his family, we thank you for all your support in getting Billy through this difficult time and we thank those of you who will be there for him in the future.
- Ken
----------------------------
Ken Kurtis
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA