Gwen (Pearson) Wright

On Monday, April 8, 2024 at 4:45 PM, the Wright and Pearson family lost a wife, mother, sister, and hero, as Gwendylon “Gwen” Faith Pearson Wright, 74, peacefully entered her eternal life surrounded by her family at Hospice of Southern KY due to complications of heart disease. Gwen was born August 3rd, 1949, in Scottsville, KY as the fourth child of Dee and Dorothy Pearson, on the family farm located on the Franklin Road. She spent the first 6 years of her life there, where her family operated the Pearson Grocery store. This same location is where she resided at her passing. The next part of her childhood was spent at the Allen County Scottsville Jail, where her father was serving as the Allen County Jailer. During these formative years is where she developed her servants' heart, love of people and her community. She graduated from Scottsville High School in 1967 as Salutatorian. Gwen married the love of her life, Gary Wright,  in 1967, and they celebrated 56 years of marriage this past December. While raising their two children, Gwen decided to go back to WKU, where she obtained her Associates of Registered Nursing degree in 1977. She later went on to pursue her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, where she completed both programs summa cum laude. After working a few years as an RN, Gwen decided to pursue a little-known occupation of the time as a Nurse Practitioner. The only two schools that offered the Master of Nursing, at that time in the Region, were Vanderbilt University and Southern Indiana University. Gwen was accepted into the Vanderbilt University program. She was able to complete the program earning her MSN-FNP with summa cum laude honors in 1991, all while working as a nurse part time and managing a family. Gwen first served patients in Adair County at one of the first Rural Health Clinics in the area, then transitioned to a joint venture between the Allen County War Memorial Hospital and the Allen County Health Department. This facility was in the old Scottsville High and was Allen County’s first Rural Health Clinic. Once the county sold the hospital to the Medical Center of Bowling Green, she would go on to serve the patients of Allen County at the Medical Center of Scottsville’s Rural Health Clinic, where she would later retire. Gwen would continue serving patients at the Allen County Health Department’s Thursday clinics. In addition, Gwen would later return to her calling at Dr. Manion’s Urgent Care Clinic and then later at the Sahetya Medical Institute. Gwen continued to serve the citizens of Allen County as a part of the Allen County Health Department Board right up until December of 2023, last serving as chairperson. She also served on the board of Briarwood Shores. Gwen was a member of the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and the Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse-Midwives. Gwen was also named the Allen County Jaycee’s Woman of the Year for 1998.

She is survived by her husband, Gary Wright; two children: a daughter, Carrie Sweeney and her husband Chris, of Bowling Green, KY; a son, Daniel Wright and his wife Suzanne, of Bowling Green, KY; four grandchildren: John Sweeney, Ava Sweeney, Mason Wright, and McKinley Wright, all of Bowling Green, KY; a brother Wendell Pearson and wife Patty, of Scottsville, KY; one sister in-law, Teresa Sikes, of Bowling Green, KY; several nieces and nephews also survive. She also left behind a beloved companion and favorite dog, Sparky.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Desford Joyce “Dee” Pearson and Dorothy Lee Williams Pearson; father-in-law and mother in-law, George and Christine Wright; a sister and brother in-law, Beverly and Dewey Anderson; a brother and sister in-law Maurice “Reacie” and Edith “Cookie” McGuffey Pearson; an infant daughter Megan Elizabeth Wright and an infant granddaughter, Kendall Grace Sweeney.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Friday at Goad Funeral Home with Bro. Danny Patrick and Bro. Mike Harper officiating and burial in Allen County Memorial Gardens.  Visitation will be 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and after 7:00 a.m. Friday until funeral time at Goad Funeral Home.  In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to the Hospice House or Allen County Humane Society.  Donations may be made at Goad Funeral Home.

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