Garland Stanford Wright, Sr. passed away peacefully on November 30, 2024, at St. Dominic Hospital surrounded by his family. Garland was born on January 25, 1934, to Esten Merrill Wright and Ester Stanford Wright LaFerry in Marks, Mississippi. Garland was a graduate of Marks High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Mississippi State University where he was one of the fortunate students to live in the infamous dormitory, Old Main. He was a lifelong Bulldog fan, season- ticket holder and King of the Tailgate. After graduating from Mississippi State, Garland worked for several firms including Michael Baker Engineering where he met his life-long friend Joe Blurton. He also worked with Smith & Sanders, Wright & Associates (Owner) and Architects, Engineers & Associates (Owner). He took great pride in his profession, earning the respect of many of his clients and colleagues over his 60+ year career. He received immense gratification in improving the lives of the communities in his home state. Garland was heavily involved in his children’s schools and activities and even served as the Chairman of the Board for both the Hanging Moss Swim and Tennis Club and for Manhattan Academy. He also loved serving his community and later served as the President of the Rankin County Rotary after being a devoted member of the organization for 10 years. He and his first wife, Patricia, had 5 children; Merrill Thomas (Jeff) of Madison, MS, Tracy Graves (Tommy) of Madison, MS, Tina Heggins (Paul) of Leander, TX, Laura Hutcheon (Michael) of Colorado Springs, CO, Garland Stanford “Stan” Wright, Jr. (Paige), 17 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Twenty-five years ago, he met his soulmate and the love of his life, Deborah Reid Wright who he married in December of 2000. The Wrights welcomed her 3 children Sean Riley, Christina Brown and Elizabeth Ward and their children to the fold, giving them a combined 26 grandchildren. He also loved his four-legged children, especially his Weimaraner’s; Beau, Belle and Doc. Garland and Debbie loved to tailgate before Mississippi State games, travel the world and most of all, dance. He would be the first to tell you how talented he was on the dance floor. During their time together, they traveled the world with their friends Joe and Evelyn Blurton. They visited Costa Rico, Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Ireland, Wales and multiple destinations throughout the USA. Some of their domestic favorites were Mount Rushmore, Sedona and San Francisco, where Garland lived as a child while his father worked in the shipyards during WWII. If you knew him well, you would know that his real first love was cooking. He was the only man his family knew that could smoke a turkey on a gas grill and taught his children more about cooking than anyone else. From smoking BBQ to pig roasts to crawfish boils, Garland’s love for cooking and being with his friends was one of his most endearing qualities. In high school, he played every sport and was an excellent athlete. He was an avid golfer and tennis player as well. He would have played golf every day if he could and was always someone you would want in your foursome for a scramble. He also really loved playing tennis, especially with his son Stan. He was preceded in death by his mother and father as well as his brothers Esten Merrill Wright, Jr., Elbert Wright, Robert Wright, his sister, Zula Wright Long and most recently his oldest daughter Merrill Thomas. Services for Mr. Wright will be held at Natchez Trace Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 4th, 2024. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the memorial service will begin at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the Wright children found it would only be fitting to make a donation to the Mississippi State University Bulldog Club’s Excellence fund at Give to State Excellence.