Colton John Wright

     Colton John Wright, 24, formerly of Covington, Indiana passed away unexpectedly on December 9, 2021, in Sarasota, Florida.  Colton was born on June 30, 1997, the son of Brian Wright and Amy (Lockwood) Thompson, in Danville, Illinois.
     Colton is survived by his parents, which include his stepfather, Chuck Thompson and stepmother Marcy Wright, his brother, Clayton “Clay,” Wright, four step-siblings, Taira (Bryan) Martin (& their children, Brynn and Broen,) Cole Thompson, Kathryn and Mitchell Bowers, grandparents, Steve and Brenda Wright, step-grandmother, Linda Defebaugh, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and many extended family members.  He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, John “Jack” (whom he was named after) and Ruby Lockwood, his step-grandmother, Loretta Jean Thompson, and both sets of his maternal and fraternal great-grandparents.
     Colton was often referred to as “wise beyond his years” even at an early age.  A few statements consistently said about Colton are “he would immediately light up a room” and “his bright smile was infectious.”
     He was very passionate about vehicles of all types. He would spend countless hours studying them online and walking car lots beginning at the young age of six years old. His passion for vehicles only grew as he got older. At the age of ten years old he traded in his four-wheeler and bought his own golf cart. He spent many hours driving his golf cart up and down his long driveway with his dog, Jack, right beside him. Once his family moved into the city of Covington, Colton quickly made “town friends” who all loved riding on his golf cart. When he got a little older (14) he decided to start buying and selling cars. He was always the “go-to-guy” when family and friends needed an opinion on vehicles. In addition to selling cars he also had his own car detailing and lawn mowing business. When he turned 16, Colton bought his own car which quickly led to trading it in to buy a brand new car.
     Colton loved anything electronic and was extremely gifted at figuring out problems with any electronic device. He helped countless people with their electronic issues or questions. He always had the most current electronic devices and loved to educate others about “the newest and coolest” devices.
     In his younger years he played basketball & baseball and then decided he’d give soccer a try since his older brother, Clayton, played. He always wanted to be like his older brother.
     Colton loved going camping with his family, traveling, swimming, attending family functions, parties or any special event. He was always surrounded by friends. For many years, he and his cousin, Jackson, were inseparable. He enjoyed hosting parties and helping his mom plan them. He also loved having a big birthday party thrown for himself every year which he would start planning months ahead of time. He was an avid animal lover and convinced his parents to adopt several animals throughout the years including their dog Peewee, who would always light up when Colton would come home.
     Colton was very proud when he and his brother, Clayton were baptized together and he knew the Lord was his Savior.
     He loved going on vacations and quickly decided Florida was his favorite state to visit. In 2020 he felt that was the state he wanted to live in but often traveled back to the Indiana/Illinois area to visit family and friends. He had intentions of moving back to the area in 2022.
     Colton was an Honor Student throughout his entire school career, achieving numerous academic awards. He was also the Spelling Bee Champion which he was very proud of. He graduated from Covington High School in 2016. He originally planned on attending college but decided working and making money was more appealing. Colton was a server at Jockos for several years. He also worked at Maple Corner, Monical’s Pizza and Liberty Estates as well as Olive Garden and Giordonas Pizza. Wherever he worked, he immediately made friends and was an excellent server who received consistent praise from customers. He often worked more than one job.
     His infectious smile, willingness to help others, and outgoing personality were just a few of his many special traits.  Colton was “a giver” and always made sure to get his mom special gifts for every occasion often with the assistance of his Aunt Cassandra who was like a second mom to him. His giving and loving heart were apparent from the time he was a small child.
     All who loved Colton are deeply mourning his loss. His senseless, tragic death is a pain that is indescribable. His memory will live on through all who knew him.
     A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, December 18 at 1:30 pm at Sunset Funeral Home, 3940 N. Vermilion Street, Danville with Pastor Joe Humrichous officiating, assisted by Dennis & Pam Starkey. Burial will follow at Stearns Cemetery.  Visitation will be held from 3-7 pm on Friday, December 17 at the funeral home.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Domestic Violence Shelter or to the Vermilion County (Illinois) Fair in Memory of Colton John Wright.  The family requests that every time you think of Colton you remember his beautiful smile, his giving heart and his love for others. Whenever you visit an ocean please pick up a shell in memory of Colton.  Please join Colton’s family in sharing memories and photos on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.

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