Joel E. Wright 1951-2019

Joel E. Wright was born Feb. 27, 1951, in Youngstown, to Eldon “Bud” Stearns Wright III and Beverly Jane Wright and was the oldest of four children.

Joel E. Wright graduated from Liberty High School Class of 1969 in Liberty Township. He attended The Ohio State University and graduated in 1974.

Afterward, he worked a year as an insurance adjuster before attending law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. He was awarded his J.D. magna cum laude from Gonzaga University in 1978. Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Wright went to work at Lee Smart P.S. Inc., a law firm in downtown Seattle. Joel has been in practice of law for over 37 years, and was a significant shareholder and partner at the law firm Lee Smart P.S. Inc.

He was an “A.V.” rated lawyer from Martindale Hubbell and listed in Best Lawyers in America. Joel was awarded Lawyer of the Year from Best Lawyers in 2014 for this legal malpractice work. He was a member of the American Bar Association, Washington State Bar Association, Washington Defense Counsel Association and the Defense Research Institute. Mr. Wright’s practice is the defense of professional liability tort claims in the areas of legal malpractice, medical malpractice, and the defense of other professionals, accountants and real estate agents.

Joel Wright was married to Kari Lynn Wright for 31 years and had two sons, Evan Dylan Wright (29) and Mac Eldon Wright (27).

In his free time, Mr. Wright enjoyed spending time with family, boating, river rafting, skiing, traveling, golfing, handball and beating everyone at Cribbage. Mr. Wright’s last years were not defined by cancer, but by determination, stubbornness and unwillingness to accept defeat. Joel was a fighter, most importantly, and perhaps definitively.

Joel Wright is survived by his wife, Kari Lynn Wright; sons, Evan Dylan Wright (fiancee Megan Nakata) and Mac Eldon Wright, all of Bainbridge Island, Washington; his sister, Susan Cwik (husband James Cwik); and brother, Robert Eldon Wright (wife Jenny Meyer Wright) both of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania; sister, Martha Gustafson (husband Mark Gustafson) of West Hartford, Connecticut.

His parents, Beverly Evans Wright and Eldon Stearns Wright III, preceded him in death.

The memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at the Grace Episcopal Church, 8595 E. Day Road, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. Reception will follow after the memorial service at the Wing Point Country Club, 811 Cherry Ave., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.

In place of flowers, send donations to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in Joel’s memory, https://themmrf.org/.

(special notice)