Archie Taylor Wright III

Archie Taylor Wright, III, 78, passed away on September 10, 2024 at his home in Matthews, North Carolina. He died peacefully and comfortably with his family at his bedside.

Born on February 23, 1946 in Orangeburg, South Carolina to Archie Taylor Wright, Jr. and Adelle Livingston Wright, Archie grew up from elementary school through high school in Bethesda, Maryland. He was in the first graduating class of Walt Whitman High School in 1964. Having studied piano in his youth, Archie performed in various concerts and competitions in the local area. After acquiring his driver’s license, one of Archie’s summer jobs during high school was as a driver for various senators and congressmen in the D.C. area.

Archie attended Duke University, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He graduated in 1968 with a B.A. in English. It was the height of the War in Vietnam in 1968, so rather than wait to be called for duty, Archie joined the Navy. He attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and graduated with distinction. He served 33 months as a Lieutenant with duties as officer of the deck and gunnery, fire control, and nuclear weapons. He completed his service in August 1971, concluding with Lieutenant Wright leading and passing a final ship inspection that allowed him to be honorably discharged a few months early so that he could attend Cornell Law School that Fall.

At Cornell, Archie was a member, author, and editor for the Cornell Law Review; he received the American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law. After three long and cold winters in Ithaca, New York, and a few snowfalls in late May, Archie sought warmer climes and set his sights on finding a job in Southern California. He successfully found employment and moved to San Diego in 1974. After passing the California Bar Exam, he worked at various law firms, real estate development companies, and retail companies. He represented both national and international clients in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., where he also held bar membership. He eventually became a sole practitioner focused on real estate development. Archie practiced law for over 48 years. It was also in San Diego that he met his wife, Alice, and they were married in Nantucket, Massachusetts in 1985. Together they had two daughters, Gretchen and Bridget.

Throughout his life, Archie was the most thoughtful and loving person. As an uncle, friend, neighbor, or brother, Archie was always eager to lend a helping hand, whether it was to assist with a move, help paint a house, offer legal advice when asked, or simply cook a meal. He was very quick witted and could not resist telling a corny joke or laughing in appreciation of someone else's. He never met a dog he didn’t like, nor a dog who didn’t like him. From the dachshunds in his childhood, to the miniature schnauzers and rescue dogs he had over the years, he loved them all. His love of dogs was only surpassed by the love he had for his family. He never missed his daughters’ piano recitals, dance performances, soccer games, and of course graduations and weddings. He was the proudest father and most caring husband.

Archie is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Alice; two daughters, Gretchen and Bridget; their spouses, Thomas Burke and Sebastian Berlingeri, respectively; his three grandchildren, Thomas, Philippa, and Archie; and his sister, Harriet Lankford. Archie was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Suzanne Larimore Robertson.

A Service and Celebration of Life will be at a future date yet to be determined.