Nadine Gillenwater Wright

Nadine G. Wright passed away on December 25, 2013 at Starr Memorial Hospital in Etowah, Tennessee after a lengthy illness.

Nadine was born in Smyth County, on Easy Street, in Saltville, VA, on May 4, 1927 to Julius Lee and Eleanor Gertrude Thompson Gillenwater. At the age of 9 she moved to Kingsport with her parents. She graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School in 1946 and Virginia Intermont College in 1948 with an Associate in Secretarial Sciences. While at VI, Mr. Burke of Dent K. Burke and Associates hired her to work for them in their office in Bristol. After graduation Nadine worked for Dent K. Burke Associates in Kingsport and then went to work as secretary to Bill King at Mason and Dixon Lines. On March 26, 1949 she married Captain Blaine M. Wright. After her first son was born she stayed home to raise her children.

Nadine was very active in Maple Street Methodist Church which became Mafair United Methodist Church. She became a charter member of Mafair in 1949. She continued to attend Mafair until her illness.

She was preceded in death by her parents, father in 1963 and mother in 1994, and her husband, Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Blaine M. Wright in 1997.

Nadine is survived by her sons, David Blaine Wright (wife, Connie) of Cleveland, TN, and Jeffrey Lee Wright (wife, Laurie) of Johnson City, TN; four grandchildren; one step-grandchild; three great-grandchildren; her beloved sister and brother-in-law, Patsy Gillenwater and Claude A. Marlowe, Jr.; and her faithful companion, Davey, a Westie.

We would like to extend a special thank you to her caregivers from In Home Care, especially Judy Dillon, Emma Hart, Diane Patrick and Betty Sims for their loving care of Nadine.

The family will receive friends from 12-2:00 pm on Monday at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, Kingsport, or friends may call anytime at the residence of her sister, Patsy Marlowe.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Rev. J. Spurgeon McCartt officiating.

Burial will follow at East Lawn Memorial Park.

Pallbearers will be Jason Dunn, Taylor Wright, Daine Wright, Dwain Hittinger, Jason Collins, Lee Schierbaum, Larry Smith and Brian Bennett.

Mafair's Home Builders Sunday school class will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Memorial contributions may be made to Mafair United Methodist Church, 1409 E. Center St., Kingsport, TN 37664, or to Gideon's International, c/o Claude Marlowe, Mafair United Methodist Church, 1409 E. Center St., Kingsport, 37664.

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