The board and staff of Claremont Heritage are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own. Judy Wright passed away early Saturday morning January 7th, her husband Colin and family at her side.
Sometimes referred to as “Mrs. Claremont”, Judy immersed herself in the community from the moment she and Colin arrived from Evanston, Ill. in 1972. Judy Wright selflessly devoted her time to help establish Claremont Heritage in the mid-1970′s and orchestrated the first historic survey of Claremont. Wright also pioneered the efforts to bring Metrolink service to Claremont and was one of the founding executive board members of Foothill Transit. She served on the City Council from 1984 to 1997 and also served as the city’s mayor from 1986 to 1989.
Judy dedicated her life to the preservation, documentation and dissemination of Claremont’s unique heritage. She committed herself to researching and recording the exceptional and varied history of Claremont. Her interest in documenting Claremont’s history was a driving passion that resulted in two books; “Claremont: A Pictorial History” and “Claremont Women: 1887 – 1950″.
Judy had a ferocious tenacity to do what she felt must be done to save Claremont’s architectural resources such as the Historic Depot which had been threatened by developers. Judy was a visionary who saw into the future and past the shortsighted ideas that often threatened to destroy the distinctive character that Claremont offers.
Sometimes accused of standing in the way of “progress”, Judy worked tirelessly to help educate those less attuned to the importance of place and heritage and ultimately succeeded where many have failed. One does not have to travel far to experience “what might have been” if Wright had not dedicated her life to making Claremont a better place to live.
The bucolic small town atmosphere with its diverse architectural styles and beautiful tree-lined streets, sensitivity to pedestrians and bicyclists and the safe and welcoming neighborhoods that garnered Claremont the fifth best place to live in the US by Money Magazine did not happen by accident.
The Claremont we have come to love and cherish might likely not exist if not for the resolve of Judy Wright. Judy’s legacy will live on through the people she has touched, the organizations she has contributed to and the cultural fabric that she has helped preserve.
We will miss you Judy, but rest assured, you have been a wonderful role model and we will continue to carry on your mission. Your heroic efforts will not go unrewarded. We promise.
A memorial has been scheduled for Saturday, January 28th at 2:00pm at Little Bridges.
