JAMES KENNETH (KEN) WRIGHT

Ken Wright, aged 89 years of Moose Jaw, SK, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 14th, 2017.  He was predeceased by his parents, Jim and Ethel Wright and his sister, Phyllis Ferguson.  Ken is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Doris of Moose Jaw; sister, Mildred Thomson of Little Falls, MN; son, Les of Minneapolis, MN; grandchildren, Matthew Wright and Kathleen Wright also of Minneapolis, MN; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.  Ken was born and educated in Weyburn, SK and moved with his family to Moose Jaw in 1947.  He met and married a lovely young red head named Doris Gibbs in 1953.  He worked for thirty-eight years for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the last 15 of which he worked on the CPR’s and VIA Rail’s passenger train service as a brakeman and finally as the train conductor.  He absolutely loved to work the passenger train where he met people from across the country, across the United States, and from around the world and he would tell all who would listen about the beauty of the Canadian prairies among other things.  Ken had another passion and that was for things business and especially the stock market.  He was known to many as “Stocks and Bonds” and he would engage folks in animated discussions of the benefits of wise investment and his favourite subject, gold.  Ken was an accomplished gardener in his day and had a big green thumb when it came to care and attention for his typical bumper crops.  He was also an avid golfer and a member of the old Willowdale Golf Club in Moose Jaw for many years, playing on the course in good weather and bad.  He was also a long-time member of the Freemasons, Latomia-Weyburn Lodge No. 20 and received his 65 year pin in 2015.  In retirement, Ken and Doris moved from the City to an acreage just outside town where he developed a love for tree planting and he spent many an hour carefully hand planting saplings and nurturing them with hand carried water buckets.  He loved to get up real early on summer mornings and with no one around but the prairie wind, he would often say, just listen, you can hear those trees growing.  Ken was an outgoing character who never shied away from a lively debate.  One of his favourite daily routines was getting out for coffee at the Moose Jaw Co-op or at McDonalds with the “coffee gang” and engaging in “active” discussions on most anything.  Those who knew him also knew he had many different perspectives on life and was tough to move off some of them.  He could dish it out and they gave it back to him and he loved every minute of it.  A Memorial Gathering will be held on Saturday, May 20th, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. in the Harvey Room at Moose Jaw Funeral Home.  The family would like to express their great appreciation and thanks to the entire Extendicare Moose Jaw team for their tremendous professionalism and the personal care provided to Ken throughout his stay and especially in his most recent time of need.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Ken’s name may be made to the Extendicare Resident Council Fund c/o Extendicare, 1151 Coteau St W, Moose Jaw, SK S6H 5G5.  Arrangements are entrusted to Moose Jaw Funeral Home, 268 Mulberry Lane.  Todd Sjoberg, Funeral Director