James C. Wright

James C. "Jim" Wright, 78, died on March 16, 2017 of complications from type A influenza. He was born in Topeka in 1938 to Forest and Naomi Sheafor Wright; she died giving birth. Forest later married Frances McCord, who adopted Jim when he was 13. His Aunt Marie Sheafor Lake was devoted to him. He graduated from Topeka High School and Kansas University. While at KU, he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity; he later served for many years on the Corporation Board of the KU chapter. In 2011, he was elected to the Hall of Fame of the KU chapter.

He graduated from Washburn University School of Law in 1963, where he was a member of Delta Theta Phi. While at Washburn, he clerked at the Kansas Insurance Department and the Kansas Corporation Commission. Shortly before graduation, Jim was hired as a clerk for the firm of Garlinghouse, Shaw, Hergenreter and Quarnstrom. After passing the bar exam, he was hired as an associate and later became a partner. In 1982, he opened a solo practice in Topeka limiting his practice to workers compensation, and retiring in 2012. He was included in Best Lawyers in America in the category of Workers Compensation 1995-2012.

Wright served two terms as a Trustee of the Kansas Bar Foundation and was chair of the Medical-Legal Committee for many years. He was chair of the Topeka Bar Association (TBA) Bench-Bar Committee, and was a 28-year member of the Ethics and Grievance Committee. He served as president of the Topeka Bar Association during the 2003/2004 term. He received the TBA Warren Shaw Distinguished Service Award in 2013, also the Topeka Bar Lifetime Achievement Award. He was a 50-year member of both the Kansas Bar Association and Topeka Bar Association. He was baptized at Seabrook Congregational Church in 1945. He was a member of First Christian Church (DOC).

Wright was president of the Topeka Country Club in 1996, and also served as president of the Topeka Jayhawk Club, the Optimist Club of Topeka West, and the Florence Crittenton Home. He served on the boards of the Topeka High School Historical Society, the Voluntary Action Center, the KU Alumni chapter of Kappa Sigma, and was an official with the Kansas Golf Tournament Association. Wright greatly enjoyed golf, crosswords, traveling, and the KU Jayhawks.

Wright was married to Patricia Slider in 1984. With his first wife, Judi Baker, he is the father of Lori (Paul) Turec, Jeb (Patty) Wright and Ashley (Nathan) Friend. Married to Patti, he became step-father to Andrew and Charles Klotz. He is the grandfather to Max Woodard and Jack Turec, and the step-grandfather to Cassidy (Nathan) Long-Wright, Miles Crabtree, and Lucy and Conrad Klotz.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at First Christian Church, 19th and SW Gage.

Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel is assisting the family.

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