Shirley T. Wright, retired South Jersey English teacher, oration coach, and reading advocate, has died at 88

Shirley T. Wright, 88, of Delran, retired English teacher at John F. Kennedy and Willingboro High Schools; charter member and former president of both the Burlington County chapter of Jack and Jill of America and the Willingboro chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority; former oration coach for a South Jersey chapter of New Jersey Orators; reading advocate; and volunteer, died Monday, May 19, of age-associated decline at her home.

A lifelong learner, longtime teacher, and avid reader, Mrs. Wright taught English and served as a class adviser at Kennedy and Willingboro High Schools from the 1970s through the early 2000s. She graduated from Alfred E. Beach High School in Savannah, Ga., and taught there in the 1960s before moving with her family in 1970 to Willingboro.

Mrs. Wright valued education and was adept at working with young people, her family said, and when her grandson, Nadir, earned a college scholarship award from the South Jersey Medical Association in 1997, she told the Courier Post that she “worked very hard to instill in him the value of a good education. The key for him was being around other kids who are highly motivated.”

She especially enjoyed poetry and could still recite poems she learned in high school and college decades ago. She belonged to book clubs and read a book every month for years, and she and her AKA sorority colleagues established an annual African American Read-In at the Willingboro Public Library.

As president of her AKA chapter, she also helped organize faith and wellness health fairs, music concerts, and other events. As president of the local Jack and Jill chapter, she developed social, cultural, and educational activities for mothers and children.

She was adept at public speaking and volunteered in the 1990s and early 2000s as a coach for the nonprofit New Jersey Orators youth organization. “She believed in giving back to the community,” said her niece Philippa Chaplin-Squire. “People really liked her. She kept close to her friends her whole life and was devoted to her family.”

Shirley Dolores Thomas was born Feb. 27, 1937, in Savannah. She had a sister and two brothers, and was especially close to her sister, Miriam, after their mother died when she was 18. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business education and English at Savannah State University and joined AKA in 1955.

She met Willinell Wright in college, and they married in 1959, honeymooned in Philadelphia, and had daughters Katrina and TondaLoa and a son, Darius. They divorced later and remained friends, and she moved from Willingboro to Delran.

Mrs. Wright was friendly and social, and she liked to shop and dine with friends, especially at Red Lobster. She was an enthusiastic Democrat and met former President Barack Obama and other politicians and community leaders through her volunteer work.

“She was a talker and loved meeting influential people,” her niece said. “She loved being part of society.”

She kept up on current events, organized class reunions for her high school and college classmates, and attended services at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Moorestown.

“She was pleasant, elegant, and put together well,” her niece said. “She was always invited to everything.”

Her grandson Nadir said: “It was amazing how many people’s lives she touched. I can’t count how many people said she was their favorite teacher or that she set them on the right path.”

In addition to her children and former husband, Mrs. Wright is survived by three grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, and other relatives.

Visitation with the family is to be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 30, at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 512 N. Church St., Moorestown, N.J. 08057. AKA will conduct a ritual at 10:30, and a homegoing service is to follow.

Donations in her name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 38105.