Wasena Franklin Wright, Sr., 1919-1990

He was a builder. It was a part of his nature to leave every building better than he found it. This usually meant larger, but if not larger, then cleaner, brighter and more useful. Just a few days after his death one friend asked another, "What do you think Wasena is doing today?" The answer was "Probably measuring the heavenly mansion to find the best place for an addition."

Wasena was called into the ministry from the lumber and building business in Bassett, Virginia, at the age of 37. He and his beloved "Rena" had three teenaged children. He had no educational preparation for the new task to which God had called him. Just when his children needed to be preparing for college, he found that he had four years of college to complete. Ferrum gave him a start and he finished his college work at Randolph-Macon. He served student charges to support the family -- managing to stay two years ahead of his son, Wasena, Jr. ("Buddy") in school.

He served on the Patrick Charge, at Meadow-Beckham and Goochland. He served Belmont in Richmond 1961-1973 and built a large part of that structure with his own hands. He then served St. Matthews in Alexandria, and the Petersburg District as superintendent from which work he retired.

Wasena's calling was to be a preacher of the Gospel and he built his sermons as carefully as he built church structures. He was bold in his pronouncements against sin and called it by its name.

As a district superintendent, he was the champion of preachers who had been overlooked by other Cabinet members in the district and in his assessment of the potential of his pastors.

Born July 31, 1919 in Henry County, he died in Richmond January 3, 1990. Remarkably, he is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lee Wright, who had celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. His wife, Lorena, who had been his constant support for 50 years, also survives him, and his children, Charles F. Wright, Judy Waggoner and Wasena Wright, Jr., an honored member of the Virginia conference. He is also survived by six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. His funeral service, attended by more than 300 persons, was conducted at Mt. Pisgah Church, Midlothian, by the Rev. Timothy Whitaker and the Rev. Walter Green.

His family had been with him almost constantly for the last days of his life and one of his children said at the funeral, "He spent a lifetime teaching us how to live and seven short days teaching us how to die."

-Lester D. Nave