Martha "Kitty" Wright

Carrollton, GA – Martha Anders “Kitty” Blankenship Wright completed her time on earth and began her life in heaven on February 17, 2021. She was born in Fairview, North Carolina on February 12, 1932 to Oscar and Margaret Blankenship, with brothers: Freneau Blankenship, Olin Blankenship, and Francis Blankenship, and sisters: Marjorie Miller, Blaine Huntley, and Carolyn Ashton. She was given the nickname “Kitty” when she was born after her oldest sister said she was as soft as a kitten, and this name stayed with her throughout her life. Martha was married to Baxter Thomas Wright, Jr. of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and had three children, son Baxter Thomas Wright, III (daughter-in-law Carol Wright), son Dr. John Douglas Wright, and daughter Dr. Constance Wright; six grandchildren: Travis Wright (Brittany), Tracy Stanley (Jonathan), Tiffany Wright, Hannah Nihart, Caitlin Nihart, and Joseph Nihart; and three great grandchildren: Adalynn Riddle, Jonah Stanley, and Luke Stanley. Her extended family also included numerous relatives whom she dearly loved. While attending Fairview School where her father was the first principal and her mother was a teacher, Martha was an officer and member of the Beta Club for four years and the Glee Club for three years. She also played on the high school basketball and softball teams and performed in the musical operettas. After graduating from high school, she began attending Western Carolina University (WCU). She first worked at WCU as a hostess at the main faculty classroom building and as a secretary typing and preparing exams for the faculty. While at this job, the president of the University called her to his office and asked her if she would be willing to teach at the WCU Training School because the teacher who had been hired had failed to report for the position. She learned so much that first year of teaching at WCU, and she soon completed her degree and additional graduate studies in the field of education there. While at WCU, she held several offices and participated in many clubs, was a Junior Marshall, performed in the WCU choir, and was crowned the Queen of May. After completing her degree, Martha became a business education teacher and taught classes such as typing, shorthand, business law, business math, introduction to business, and introduction to computers during her 33 years at various high schools in North Carolina. These included Mt. Holly High School, Tryon High School, Buncombe County Schools (Clyde A. Erwin, Charles D. Owen, and A.C. Reynolds) and Lee Edwards/Asheville High School. While at A.C. Reynolds, she was asked by the students to sponsor the Bible Club. She considered this one of the highlights of her time in education. Music was also a large part of Martha’s life. Soon after she graduated from WCU, she auditioned and was selected from hundreds of singers to be the headliner for a television show based in Charlotte, North Carolina that became known as “Kitty Wright and the Southern Playboys”. The show aired live each week, and she and the band would sing popular songs of the day. In 2015 at the age of 83, she was the featured singer for the song “Mama’s Faith”, written in honor of her by her son, independent Christian artist J. Douglas Wright. The song reached #1 on the national Christian Radio Chart (CRC). Martha believed that sharing the plan of salvation through Christ with others was the most important work we could do while on earth. Her faith in God was unwavering. As a church member all her life, she taught Sunday school classes, sang in the choir, provided special music with her pitch-perfect, multi-octave voice, volunteered for church events, and would drive wherever needed to give rides to those who wanted to go to church and did not have a way. Everyone who came in contact with Martha knew her as a woman of faith, generosity, wisdom, strength, intelligence, class, beauty, and dignity who also had a hilarious sense of humor. Her love for others was endless. The earth was blessed with an angel while she was here. A public graveside burial will be held on Tuesday, February 23 at 1:00 p.m. at Cane Creek Cemetery in Fairview, North Carolina. It will be officiated by the Reverend Randy Young. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date. To sign Mrs. Wright’s guestbook online, please go to www.andersrice.com