Mary A. Dright's Obituary
Mary was born June 9, 1943 in Shreveport, Louisiana at Charity Hospital. She was the 6th child born to Lester (deceased) and Nealie Laris (deceased) and was known as Baby Sister by her family and friends. Her siblings Lester, Florida Mae (deceased), Patricia, Jessie Mae, James (deceased), and later Cheryl formed a tight, loving group. The same year she was born the family moved from Louisiana to Vancouver, Washington. Mary’s father passed away in 1954 when she was 11 years old, which was a major blow to the family. Two years later, the Laris family moved to Portland, Oregon. Mary spent her teenage years in Portland and attended Grant High School, where she graduated in 1961.Throughout her entire life, Mary had always liked education and learning, and had always been a hard worker. Eager to continue seeking knowledge, Mary started her career in word processing, but soon determined that word processing wasn’t what she wanted to do. Mary wanted to help people and at that stage, moved into the career field that she would be involved in for the rest of her life: nursing. She began a nursing program at Emanuel Hospital near her home in Portland. She studied at Emanuel Hospital Nursing School and became a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). She worked at Emanuel Hospital until she moved to California, where she first lived with her sister Patricia Hall and her sister’s family in the Bay Area.One thing Mary always took pride in was her appearance. She was always well dressed and immaculate. Mary’s appearance was another shining example that everything she did, she did her best at. After moving to California, Mary continued working as a Licensed Vocational Nurse until she retired in 2008, composing a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years. Over that time, she worked at many hospitals and nursing homes throughout the North Bay and East Bay. Not long after moving to California, she met the person who would be her life partner, Albert Dright. They married on July 16, 1971 and remained together for more than 40 years. They began their family together and raised two children, Nicole and Kareem. Mary put as much love and effort into her children as she did into everything else that was important to her. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother to her grandson Evan. Her daughter followed her example into nursing. Mary also enjoyed sewing, reading and dancing. When she was younger, she enjoyed traveling with her friends Lillian and Donna.She spent her entire life taking care of the sick, with a special focus on elderly patients. She was a tireless advocate for patients and their rights and dignity. Mary went to the Lord on September 7, 2011. She leaves behind her husband (Albert), her two children (Nicole and Kareem), her grandchild (Evan), her brother (Lester), sisters (Patricia, Jessie Mae, Cheryl), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She is preceded in death by her father (Lester), mother (Nealie), sister (Florida Mae), and brother (James).
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