Dr. C. Larry Wright
Larry Wright cared for his patients as a physician, but cared for his family as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He will be greatly missed by his family and community.
Dr. C. Larry Wright, a dedicated physician, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully June 21, 2025, in Moses Lake, Wash. He was 90 years old.
Born in 1935 on a sharecropper’s farm in Casey, Iowa, during a fierce winter blizzard in the midst of the Great Depression, Larry's life was rooted in perseverance, service and faith.
He was the son of Olen “Bud” and Mildred Wright and spent much of his early childhood attending a one-room schoolhouse. A bright and determined student, Larry left high school early to attend the University of Iowa, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees. He put himself through school laying railroad ties, picking peas and other farming jobs, and later as an orderly in the hospital.
On Jan. 3, 1958, Larry married the love of his life, Jeanette Kiser, in Iowa City, Iowa. Together, they built a life marked by service, compassion, and a love of expanding horizons.
After completing his internship at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Larry volunteered with the United States Public Health Service. He served at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo., before continuing his residency in Staten Island, N.Y., and later transferring to the U.S. Public Health Service facility in Seattle, Wash. It was here that his love of hiking and photography became apparent.
Dr. Wright went on to join Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, where he was a "complete" ophthalmologist, one of the best at retinal surgery and one of the earliest doing laser treatments for nearly two decades, while living in Redmond, Wash. He later moved to Moses Lake, Wash., joining Columbia Basin Eye Clinic and serving patients across Grant County and surrounding areas for the final 10 years of his 40-year career.
A man of many passions, Larry embraced retirement with the same enthusiasm he brought to his medical practice. He found joy in gardening, especially orchards, photography, genealogy, music, and woodworking. He was an active member of Our Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Ephrata, Wash. He rang bells in the local handbell choir, participated in Bible studies, and went on numerous mission trips. He was also a proud member of the Dutch Oven Society.
Larry was deeply connected to the outdoors and passed on his love of camping and backpacking to his children and grandchildren, creating lifelong memories of big trees, mountains, oceans and campfires. In the last decade, he developed a love for cooking, collecting an impressive library of cookbooks from around the world, which he would read cover to cover, and was always cooking something from a different region of the world to the very end.
Larry passed on to David the love of music and fixing things. To Julia, a love of the natural world and the passion for caring for others; to Jon, the ability to build and create; to Joshua, the love of the outdoors and woodworking; to Jennifer, the love of playing instruments and medicine; to Austin, photography and computers; and to Alexis, playing instruments, playing grandpa’s saxophone in the band.
He is survived by his children, David Wright and wife Barbara of Anaheim, Calif.; Julia Reed-Voldal and husband Eric of Federal Way, Wash.; and Jonathan Wright and wife Tabitha of Port Charlotte, Fla.; his grandchildren Joshua Reed and wife Kristen of Missoula, Mont.; Jennifer Cockerill and husband Tanner of Marysville, Wash.; Austin Wright and wife Mackenzie of Culver City, Calif.; and Alexis Wright of Port Charlotte, Fla.; and great-grandchildren Kiara Reed and Sienna Cockerill.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jeanette, his parents, and his brothers Ron of Nixa, Mo., and Gary of Kansas City, Kan.
A celebration of Larry’s life will be held Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 11 a.m., with a viewing at 10:30 a.m., at Our Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Ephrata, Wash., located at 172 Ivy Street SE.
Dr. Larry Wright will be remembered not only for his healing hands and sharp mind, but for his kind heart, gentle spirit, deep faith, and unwavering love for his family and community. His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, both professionally and personally.
Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at https://bit.ly/DRCLWRIGHT. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.