Nathaniel Joseph Wright's Obituary
With a heavy heart, we announce the passing of our son, Nathaniel Joseph Wright. Nathan was born on November 17th, 1993; He passed away on May 6th, 2024.
Nathan struggled with mental illness, and it has become evident that these struggles caught up with him. Through the eyes of his family, this does NOT define him…nor who he was, at heart.
As a baby, Nathan was known for his huge and infectious smile. One that would brighten the spirits in any room. By the time all his teeth grew in, his smile grew that much more. It was so big, you could see nearly all his teeth! He inherited that beautiful smile from his mother, April. His mom’s favorite memory with Nathan as baby was walking around with him at the Columbus Zoo.
As Nathan became a toddler, the family was experiencing some difficult times. Nathan’s happy spirit seemed to be the epicenter of our family. The love he showed his newborn sister, Tammy, was very nurturing and heart-warming. He’d always talk to her and loved to kiss her tiny head. He also loved to play with his older brother, Adam. This wasn’t always “fun” for Adam. For example, Nathan thoroughly enjoyed “bonking” Adam in the head with various kitchen utensils…and not soft ones! We all laughed so hard. Unfortunately, this was at Adam’s expense. Nathan was also blessed with a big sister, Christina. Christy was like a little mom to Nathan. Nicknames were quite the thing in our household. Nathan used to call her “Miss Tina”…she’d call him Nae Nae Shi’ Nae Nae O’connor. Nathan’s spirit of fun, love and enlightenment was instrumental in creating a nurturing environment, which is just what the family needed during this time.
As a young boy, Nathan welcomed his youngest sister, Hannah Wright, into the world. He expressed the same love for her at such a young age. As he and his sisters grew, they spent a lot of time together camping, scouring the woods to gather firewood, boating, tubing and endless hours in the pool. Our vacations to Disney World and first ever visit to the ocean are some of our most memorable times with Nathan during this time.
Throughout his elementary school years, several of Nathan’s teachers echoed our views of Nathan. He was a bright and friendly child. It was mentioned several times that Nathan was one of the happiest kids they had ever met. His impact on his teachers brought us a sense of pride and joy. His sense of humor blossomed. To this day, we laugh out loud when we talk about how he used to hoist up his pajama pants to his neck…and would trounce around the house. It was a head “sitting” atop two very long legs just walking around; it was hilarious.
As a teenager, Nathan became a big brother, yet again. This time, to Evan. Nathan was an awesome big brother. There wasn’t an activity Nathan would do that he didn’t include Evan. They’d watch each other play video games, play “kitchen”, and he catered to whatever made Evan happy. He was everything a big brother should be.
This brief glimpse into this portion of Nathan’s life” brings back heartfelt warmth and loving memories. Reflecting on our time with Nathan makes us realize, again, just how easy it was to love him. He was loved far beyond what he knew.
We will cherish THESE memories and honor him because of THESE experiences…experiences that we will not forget. We will always reflect and smile. Perhaps not with a smile as big as Nathan’s, but a smile nonetheless.
Nathan is preceded in death by grandfathers Glenn Wright and Frank Rynearson, and grandmother Sheila Logan. He is survived by his grandmother Nancy Rynearson, parents Robert and April Wright, and siblings Christina Gardner, Adam Gardner, Tamara Wright, Hannah Wright and Evan Wright.
A private memorial will be announced at a later time. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for contributions to be made to your community outreach programs or Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.
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Describe a day with Nathaniel you’ll never forget.
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