Howard Wright's Obituary
Somewhere in the great beyond, firefighters of years gone by welcomed a new Chief with the passing of Howard Wright on January 3, 2025.
Born August 30, 1940 near Berryville, AR, Howard grew up in Salinas, CA. It was there that he met the love of his life, Shyron Bradshaw, and she became his bride and partner for over 63 years. She was with him until the very end, holding his hand, telling stories, and listening to Johnny Cash together.
Howard became a full time firefighter with the California Division of Forestry (now known as CAL Fire) in 1960 at the age of 20. By the time he was 23, he became what is believed to be the youngest Captain in CAL Fire history. He served his community for 36 years, the last 22 as a beloved Battalion Chief for the San Bernardino ranger unit serving the cities of Highland, Loma Linda, and Grand Terrace. His impact on the lives of the people he commanded can be measured by the success they achieved in their own careers, and by the outpouring of their well wishes as he fought a short battle with cancer.
Howard loved golfing, and played weekly up until he became sick. He was an avid fly fisherman, a love he passed on to his son-in-law, and his grandsons, who continue to catch fish on his old rods and reels to this day. When he wasn’t working in the yard or feeding the neighborhood dogs treats, he enjoyed visiting Soboba Casino with Shyron where, word is, he bested the house on their Keno machines on a regular basis.
Howard is survived by his wife Shyron, daughters Tami and Melanie, and grandchildren Kyle, Jack, and Averi. And, of course, the CAL Fire community, that he considered his family as well.
Services remembering Howard will be at 11:00 on Friday, January 17th, 2025 at Bobbitt Memorial Chapel, 1299 E Highland Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92404. A reception filled with good stories will be held immediately following at the Elks Lodge, 2055 Elks Dr, San Bernardino, CA 92404.
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