December 1, 1956 - July 24, 2021
Karen Wright passed away at the Mazankowski Heart Institute on July 24, 2021 at 10:30 pm. Karen Wright was born Karen Lynn Annas in the Hanna Hospital, December 1, 1956, Hanna, Alberta.
Her parents were John Peter Annas, father, and Edna Annas, mother. John was born in 1931 at Scapa, Alberta on the farm, her mother, Edna Olson, was born at Dynant, Alberta, south of Tofield, in 1931.
Karen was educated in Hanna, Alberta and was privileged to be taught by John C. Charyk, the most noted teacher of mathematics in the province of Alberta. Karen went on to achieve a degree at Mount Royal College, Calgary in Business Administration.
Karen married Forrest Wright on September 7th, 1974, in Hanna, Alberta. They had two sons, Stuart Dean Wright and his partner Shawna Ogonoski, of Lethbridge and Christopher John Wright and Nicole Wright of Beaumont and their daughter and our granddaughter, Ania Alexander.
Karen's career commenced in Edmonton with the firm of Gary Coskey and Associates, as an accounting technician. Gary Coskey often commented that even though Karen did not have a formal accounting degree she had the most natural accounting mind he had ever encountered. Karen went on to become the Chief Executive Officer of Crown Corporation in East Central Alberta where she served for over twenty years.
After Karen left her career as a CEO, she commenced a seven year odyssey in the research of her father's genealogy. Karen and Forrest, with many of the distant relatives, mostly in the Wetaskiwin area, traveled across the Ukraine to visit where her father was born in the only Swedish village granted, by Catherine the Great, to the Swedes in the year 1774. At the culmination of her research she published a book, named "The Promised Land", where she meticulously documented, in 530 pages, the story of her dad's family going back to 1552.
Karen and Forrest shared a deep affection for music, mostly due to Forrest's maternal Grandmother, Gladys Givens. They attended Handel's Messiah with a special group of friends, over forty years at Christmas. Karen and Forrest were fortunate to travel extensively and attend many of the great music halls.
A service will be held for Karen Wright at the Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, 205 Fir St., Sherwood Height Park, Sherwood Park, Alberta at 2 pm on August 14th, 2021. At a later date with Forrest, our two sons with spouses, and a family entourage, will inter Karen at the Hanna Cemetery. Donations in Karen's memory are gratefully accepted to Mount Olivet Lutheran Church or a charity of one's choice.
Baker Funeral Chapel, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, 780-352-2501 or 888-752-2501.
Condolences: www.womboldfuneralhomes.com
Baker Funeral Chapel