Justin Wright Jr

They say that when something happens to you, your life flashes before your eyes. From the moment I was told Justin wasn’t coming home again, it was his life flashing before mine, in a repeating loop. From the laps they made his mother walk around the Naval Medical Center in San Diego until our stubborn boy would finally come (he still has the pillow), to the way he used to organize his matchbox cars on the rug, hollering at Pawpaw every time he would move one. The go cart we got him after months of deciding about a 4-wheeler or not, only to have him drive it straight of the porch and into a tree ending his hopes of a 4 wheeled future. Jumping off the tower at Lake Tejas to show Mawmaw and Pawpaw he’s not scared, to his first Faux hawk with gel in his hair he couldn’t wait to show his mother. Driving around the business park in my truck with Kelsey learning to drive trying not to hit stop signs or driving him all over the Nederland and Port Neches looking for Pokémon, to his HS graduation and the joy that gave he and his friends. I remember Morgan coming home from a good garage sale day with a wash tub full of little cars. Justin went through that whole container for about an hour, setting aside 2-3 of them, only to march up to his mother in disgust and announce he already had them, and she should have known that. That type of focus is something that he would apply to every problem that presented itself. In work and in play he would accomplish anything he put his mind to. I his elementary years, my nephew Jacob volunteered to be terrorized by Kelsey and Justin and came to live with us. He wasn’t the babysitter to keep your kids from wandering around the neighborhood selling oranges (they weren’t missing, but he didn’t know that) or deciding the gender of recued kittens (which is harder than you think), but he was always patient with them. This patience would be something that rubbed off on Justin. Whether it was with Kelsey, or later with his stepbrother Landyn, Justin always patiently made sure they were taken care of in his own way. When Landyn would chase him for hours saying “Bubba, Bubba, Bubba”, Justin would give him a controller with no batteries in it and then play his game telling Landyn “Good job!” the whole time, never losing his cool or getting angry. To this day Landyn believes he beat Zelda when he was 4. Landyn got the same benefit from Justin as Justin did from Jacob. I remember in the middle and high school years when he started to form the meaningful relationships that you bring into adulthood. Justin always surrounded himself with the type of people that you want your children to have as friends. Jojo, Tony, JD, Brendarius, so many more I have had the pleasure to meet this week. Joanna taught him that real friendship is showing up when it’s not easy, and he would do the same for any of you. He loved you all like family. This family has had to explain to him his whole life “He or she is not really my brother or sister, but we call them uncle and aunt”. It fills me with joy to see that my son made the same type of relationships in his life that I have in mine, often they’re the best ones. As he graduated and became a man, he had some decisions to make. I remember when he came to talk to me about the job he was taking with his stepdad Jason. I remember saying “Son, you know that’s going to be hard work, not like the type of jobs you’re used to, you need to really want it”. He was fearless, and hungry to get out into the world and earn his own living, not wanting to be dependent on anyone for what he wanted. Now I’ve been a new guy, and I’ve trained a new guy, and I’m sure that the first few days or weeks were a shock, but he never complained and got to work. Justin was blessed to get assigned to a great crew. Luis and the team has been telling me stories for the last couple of days and it went about how you would expect. He got a new white kid that couldn’t talk to the crew and didn’t even know how to sweep the floor right or even eat the food they shared. Not to be discouraged, and I’m sure with plenty of help from his team Justin figured it out. He would end up bonding, as we do, with the crew he spends his days with. So much so that when he had his accident, and the crew found out, they all badged out and went to the accident site and stayed with my son until he was taken away, ensuring that he wasn’t alone. Luis Henriquez, Luis Ramirez, Donald Green, Jose Albarca, and Colin Martinez I can never thank you gentleman enough for being there for my boy at the end of his time on this earth. It may seem like a meaningless gesture to some, but I can assure you there is nothing more meaningful to me and his family. I am eternally thankful for what you did for my son, and your friend. Justin found the love of his life. Madi was the first girl he ever talked seriously to me about, the first girl he ever introduced me to, and the first girl he ever really loved. Madi I am grateful that my son found a great woman like you, who would push him, love him, and make him feel the way he did when he was with you. I consider you a part of my family, and if there is ever anything I, or the extended family in this room can do, just know we will always be there for you. From his earliest years Justin was always a caring soul. His mother and I, with the help of so many people, many who are here today, worked to give him all the best parts of ourselves without the extra baggage. We somehow managed to do it twice, with Justin and with his beautiful sister Kelsey. Kelsey and Justin are typical siblings. They can’t have a conversation without arguing but God help the person that tries to get between them. As they have grown, they have always been the person the other could lean on. You can’t hope for a better relationship with your children; Kelsey, your brother will always be with you. Justin far exceeded what a father can hope for. He is the most caring, sympathetic, and trustworthy person I know. He is a fast friend, and the type of person others can depend on when they need someone, as long as you’re not asking him to wake up on time….. Justin is my son, but he has grown into the type of man I am proud to know. You are a greater man than me, and I will always be thankful to God that I have the honor and pleasure of being your father. I promise to work every day to be the father you deserve, I will love you forever, and I can’t wait to see you again. I love you more.