Chester "Chet" Franklin Wright

Chester “Chet” Wright, 69, passed away on July 6, 2024, after a 5-1/2 year battle with kidney cancer. He was born on August 11, 1954, in Ft. Campbell, KY. Preceding him in death were his parents., Dr. Jack and Bonnie (Sobecki) Wright, and his brother, Christopher “Skip” Wright. Chet is survived by his wife, Debra Flowers Wright, his son, Anthony (Nancy) Wright, and his grandchildren Vincent, Alice, and Celeste. Also surviving are his four sisters: Sue Marx-Bohan of Auburn, GA; Laurie Badger of Galesburg, MI; Dr. Jackie O’Beirne of Lakewood, CO; and Stacey (Lowell Amos) Ankony of Goshen, IN, and a host of nephews and nieces. And lest not forget his constant companions, Layla and Marley.

As a youth, Chet was an Indiana State bowling champion in singles and placed Top 3 in four other events. A graduate of Andrew Jackson High School in South Bend, IN, he became an accomplished golfer and was the Captain and MVP of the Tigers golf squad his senior year. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Chet was a fanatic for the Chicago White Sox and Notre Dame football. He played baseball from Little League through American Legion. Later on, he coached his son’s baseball teams for nine years.

Chet graduated from Miami University, Oxford, OH, in 1976 with a BS degree in Communications. He was a member of the Alpha Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. It was at Miami where he began his broadcasting career, calling the play-by-play of Tallawanda High School basketball his freshman year, and three years as the voice of Miami Redskins basketball. After college, he landed a job with the Atlanta Hawks and spent four years with the club, the last three of which were as Public Relations Director and radio play-by-play broadcaster. He also did radio play-by-play for the Chicago Bulls and was the TV Analyst for the Indiana Pacers telecasts.

In 1984, Chet entered the Yellow Pages industry with BellSouth Advertising and Publishing. At 33, he was hired by Sprint Publishing as Vice President of Training and Business Development and spent time in Chicago and Overland Park, KS, before he had a strong desire to form his own Yellow Pages company. He moved back to Atlanta and, in 1995, co-founded Neighborhood Yellow Pages Company, Inc. In all, Chet spent more than 20 years in Yellow Pages publishing.

Chet volunteered as a lector at the Catholic parishes where he and Debra were members. He was a proud member of Alcoholics Anonymous and spent his later years working in the addiction recovery field. Prior to his cancer diagnosis, he was active placing addicts in recovery centers and studying for a master’s degree in Christian Counseling.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the Northwest Oncology Group at Kennestone Hospital for their world-class healthcare during Chet’s battle with cancer, especially Dr. John French, P.A. Emily Payne, nurse Shena Downton, and a host of others whose contributions do not go unnoticed.

A memorial service and burial will be held on Saturday, August, 3, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4465 Northside Drive, NW, Atlanta, GA 30327.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Chet’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. www.forstjude.org or (800) 805-5856