Mary Frances ‘Mallory’ Wright
December 18, 1921 - June 14, 2022
CHULA VISTA — Mary Frances, born 18 December 1921, passed away peacefully at her cottage in Fredericka Manor, Chula Vista on 14 June 2022, with her daughter by her side. She was born to John Randolph Mallory and Mary Elizabeth Troop in Anderson, Indiana. Mary Frances was pre-deceased by an older sister, Helen Ann Graves, and two younger brothers, George Clayton Mallory and John Mason Mallory.
After graduating from Lincoln High School in Plymouth, Indiana, Mary Frances attended Purdue University before moving to Chicago in the early 1940’s where she lived at the YMCA downtown. She ran a comptometer for an inventory service company which also counted election ballots at the Drake Hotel.
She met Chief Petty Officer, Cary Francis Wright in 1946, married him on 8 June 1947 in Plymouth, Indiana and together they traveled around the world for the next sixty-nine years. Among her favorite duty stations were Newfoundland, Bermuda, Midway Island and Ankara, Turkey.
After retiring from the U.S. Navy, they settled down in Chula Vista where Mary Frances went to work for the San Diego County Department of Education. She retired in the mid 1980’s. Still very active, Mary Frances volunteered for the next twenty years as an usher for the San Diego Symphony, the Old Globe and many other theaters around San Diego and as a greeter at the San Diego Airport. One of her favorites was volunteering for the San Diego Opera as a puppeteer with their program to introduce opera to the elementary schools around San Diego County.
Mary Frances was very talented artistically. She enjoyed ceramics, making clothes and also decorating them in creative ways. She always dressed with flair.
Lt. Cmdr. Wright predeceased Mary Frances on 21 March 2015. Together they had four beautiful daughters, Linda Elizabeth Wright, Constance Ione Wright Howard, Karen Frances Wright Arbaugh and Diane Randolph Wright. Mary Frances leaves a legacy behind of seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Mary Frances’ ashes will be buried alongside her husband at Glen Abbey Cemetery, Bonita. No services will be held. Donations in her honor may be made that the San Diego Food Bank.