John Wright:
CLASS OF 1960
St. Francis Home for Boys SchoolClass of 1960
Detroit, MI
John's Story
After St Francis, I went to high school at Catholic Central and college at the U of Detroit. I worked at Detroit Diesel and J and L steel in the summers and downtown Hudsons in the winter. I ran into Ted Malinowski once while at J and L. After graduation from U of D, with the draft board breathing down my neck, I enlisted in the Air Force. I did not know it at the time but I was leaving Detroit for good. I lucked out and qualified for OTS and pilot training. I loved flying right away and spent the next 20 years in the Air Force. I met the love of my life, Beth, while stationed at McGuire flying C-141s. Beth is an Air force brat and was home from college for summer vacation. We have been married for 34 years and have four great kids. The two oldest, Jake an artist and designer, and KC (Katherine Christine), an actress, live in Brooklyn. Nick is a senior at George Mason and Lizzie will be a senior in high school next year. Highlights of my Air Force career include an assignment to the Presidential support squadron at Andrews AFB flying 707s and three years in Morocco as the US Air Attache to the embassy in Rabat. Another St Francis alum was at Andrews with me, CMsgt Joe Jaworski, the radio operator on Air F...Expand for more
orce One. Joe was in the 8th grade at St Francis when I got there as a 4th grader. I got a job flying for American Airlines after I retired from the USAF in 1990. I flew 727s, MD80s, 757s, 767s and the 777 for American until my mandatory age 60 retirement in 2006. After that I flew the Citation X business jet for NeJets and Executive Jet Management until last year. I think I am finally retired now. My younger brothers, Frank, Paul and David also attended St Francis. Frank is a retired large animal Vet and also an artist. He and his wife live in Lanesboro MN. Paul is an MD. He and his wife and son live in Denver CO. Paul's wife is also an MD. David and his wife life in St Paul MN. Dave is a writer and works as the Athletic publicist for Concordia University. I was so sorry to hear that St Francis had burned down. When I worked for the airline and had layovers in Detroit, it always shocked me to see how much the city had deteriorated since my departure in 1969. I have mostly fond memories of my years at St Francis, especially my classmates and friends as well as great nuns like Sister Judith and Sister Michelle (who not only taught me how to play a musical instrument but how to hit and throw a baseball).
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