Obituary of Barry Lee Wright

Barry Lee Wright was born on August 6, 1952 in Rockmart, Georgia. He was one of eight children born from the union of his parents: the late Ivey L. Wright and the late Nellie E. (Williams) Fourroux. Barry attended John Glenn High School and graduated with the class of 1970. He immediately started working at Ford Motor Company as a truck driver and continued to do so until he retired in 2002.

Barry had four children whom he deeply cared for. He would meet the love of his life, Carol Grochowicz and joined families sharing eight children. Barry worked hard to support his family and always made sure they were well taken care of.

Barry was a simple man who enjoyed the simple things in life. He was happiest surrounded by his family, whether in the comfort of his home or at a family social event including barbecues, birthdays and holidays. He was a very smart man who had an IQ of 145, almost making him a genius. To quench his thirst for knowledge, he enjoyed watching the Science Channel, one of his favorite shows: “How It’s Made” and the Food Channel. He also enjoyed testing his knowledge by watching “Cash Cab” and “Jeopardy”.  

He had an ear for music and was a phenomenal guitar player, often times playing his favorite rock n’ roll and country tunes. Barry was an avid sports fan and was always rooting for his local Detroit teams: Red Wings, Lions and the Tigers. Barry was a wonderful husband, a caring father and the best grandfather to his grandchildren. To know Barry was to love him, and he will be dearly missed.

Barry Lee Wright, age 65, of Newport, passed away at 7:55pm on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at his home under the care of Henry Ford Hospice. In addition to his parents, his passing is preceded in death by his brother: Bill Fourroux.

To cherish his memory, Barry leaves his loving spouse of 25 years: Carol Grochowicz; his children: Emily (Robert) Quinn, Kevin (Lori) Wright, Mandy (David) Toner, and Andrew (Molly) Wright; Michael (Tonya) Grochowicz, Nicholas (Lauren) Grochowicz, Katie Grochowicz and Jessica Grochowicz; his siblings: Vickie Wright, Donald (Alice) Wright, Susan (Rick) Martini-Hines, Terry (Johnny) Cheney, Aleshia Vaughan, Homer “Butch” (Teresa) Fourroux, David (Debbie) Wright; fifteen grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members and friends.

Friends may gather on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 from 12:00pm until a Celebration of His Life at 2:00pm at Merkle Funeral Service, 2442 North Monroe Street (734 )384-5185 to be officiated by Pastor Roy Southerland from Monroe Missionary Baptist Church. Procession will follow to Roselawn Memorial Park in LaSalle for burial.

Online guests may leave words of comfort and inspiration, share a photo or send a floral arrangement by visiting our website at www.merklefs.com.