Leo V. Wright 1929 - 2020

CONNELLY, WRIGHT, HYBIAK

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 12/5/2020 at 18:52:40

Sioux City Journal
15 November 2020

Leo V. Wright

Arroyo Grande, Calif., formerly Sioux City

Leo V. Wright, 91, of Arroyo Grande, formerly of Sioux City, galloped off into his final dawn with his trusty steed and into his family's waiting embrace on Nov. 5, 2020.

There will be a celebration of life with the family at a later date. Visitation with the family will be 4 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 20 at Marshall Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel in Grover Beach, Calif.

Leo was born on June 22, 1929, son of Arthur and Katherine (Connelly) Wright, to a family of 12 siblings and lived and attended Sioux City schools. He had a full scholarship to Trinity College in Sioux City, but left home at 17 to honorably serve his country in the U.S. Navy.

He learned to work at a young age at the Sioux City Stockyards with his brothers and his father and later went on to work in a multitude of different jobs including the sawmills in the Black Hills, S.D., construction in Kansas City and Oklahoma, and farm hand. He worked as an auto mechanic for his brother-in-law in the early 1950s in Sioux City, until the great flood of 1952. He was a self-employed painter and later worked for the San Luis Unified School District. He said that he was not a lazy man and was still wanting to help work on projects. He was up before the roosters crowed and was always there for everyone else, ready and willing to help. The saying, "It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into the giving" by Mother Theresa would be his lesson to teach us.

He met and married Marge Hybiak and took on a family of five young children. When asked about this recently he shouted, "Yes" he wanted this family. To this union, two more children were born. The family resided in and around the Sioux City area on acreages where the kids could thrive and have horses, chickens, a donkey and even a peacock. In 1975, he decided to pack up his entire family and move to California and settle in Arroyo Grande, where he resided for the last 45 years.

Leo loved to go fishing, the Dodgers and could not wait for the baseball season and playoffs. He was so happy that his team won this year. He hardly ever missed a boxing match. He was a country boy and loved his country music songs with Johnny Cash and Lorretta Lynn. He had a special connection with his horses through the years and his dogs.

Survivors include his sister, Nora (Bill) Johnson of Sioux City; his children, Lynn (Warren) Knapp of Hinton, Stan (Deb) Duncan of Blythe, Calif., Paula (Patrick) McLean of Arroyo Grande, Tim (Rebecca) Duncan of Bakersfield, Calif., Laura Perez of Melbourne, Fla., Daniel (Gina) Wright of Grover Beach, Calif., and Kathy Pharr of Nipomo, Calif.; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; six brothers; four sisters; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law; and son-in-law, Michael Pharr.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be directed to the horse rescue organization All Seated In A Barn, 1925 Nute Street, Bakersfield, CA 93312.