On February 6, Randolph Alfred Wright ("Randy") of Shelby received his eternal reward. Born June 14, 1945, in Harrisonburg, VA, he was the beloved only child of the late Harold Alfred Wright of Varna, IL, and Gertrude Dickerson Wright of Minco, OK. By lineage, he descended
from farmers, bankers, Methodist ministers, and from Edward Doty, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower and set his hand to the Mayflower Compact.

From an early age, Randy displayed a remarkable gift for music, especially in piano, leading him to enter the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, where he earned his undergraduate in Piano Performance. He went on to receive his Master of Music in Piano Performance from West Virginia University under the renowned Herman Godes. Thereafter, he devoted his professional life to the teaching of music at what was then Gardner-Webb College. Among composers, his greatest admiration was reserved for Frédéric Chopin, and among pianists, for Vladimir Horowitz. He was also an avid chorist, devoting many years to the adult choir of First Baptist Church of Shelby and to the Cleveland County Choral Society. He and his wife were likewise devoted members of FBC, and the sound of Randy playing the church bells on Sunday afternoons echoed through downtown in the late 1980s and 1990s.

In 1979, he felt called to open the Bible Book Store on Lafayette Street, serving as its owner and operator for the next twenty years. From this small storefront, he supplied local congregations with items such as communion wafers and cups, hymnals, Bible study materials, and sheet music. Whether one sought a fine and stately family Bible, or a small guardian for the nightstand, Randy stood ready to assist with its selection and engraving.

While his faith and personal study of theology remained at the fore, his interests were many and varied. He possessed, for example, a deep love for American history, with Colonial Williamsburg among his favorite destinations. As a model train enthusiast, he spent many an hour imagining that the steam rising from his Lionel engines might propel him to years gone by-to a childhood shaped by The Hardy Boys and Howdy Doody, to Illinois farmland and the Shenandoah Valley, to the magic of rediscovering Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven, and to wondrous train rides when the world was new.

He is remembered by his friends and family for his quick and dry wit, patience, and gentle bearing. He listened carefully, spoke thoughtfully, and offered his time freely. His faith was not a matter of display, but of daily practice--seen in humility, kindness, generosity, and a quiet devotion that shaped the way he lived and served. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Ledford Wright; son and daughter-in-law John Randolph and Lesley Bliss Wright; granddaughter, Reagan Blanche Wright; sister-in-law, Brenda Kay Ledford; and other extended family.

Such was his love for the Lord that he devoted his life to the notes heard in Scripture and in song.

The receiving of friends will take place at Cecil Burton Funeral Home, Friday, February 13, from 6:00-7:30 PM. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Shelby, especially as it benefits the music ministry.

Online condolences may be made at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com

Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family.