Rev. Janet Eileen Wright

Rev. Janet E. Wright, a long-time resident of Aquebogue, passed away on Thursday, December 5th at Stony Brook Hospital with family by her side due to complications from an auto-immune disease. She was 76. She was born in Dunkirk, NY to Helen (Eaton) and Marcus Wright on April 30th, 1948. She graduated from North High School in Binghamton in 1966 and Broome Community College in 1968 with a Associates Degree majoring as a Medical Office Assistant. In 1993 she rediscovered her love of painting and took over 24 art credits at Suffolk Community College. She then went on to New York School of Ministry and was awarded the title of Interfaith Minister from the New Seminary in 2014. Janet was a senior library clerk in Binghamton and secretary at the Clarkson College library in Potsdam until she had children and devoted all her time to raising them. In 1991 she moved to Aquebogue and became the office manager at Aquebogue Machine and Repair Shop until it closed in 2013. She also worked as the front desk receptionist for Dr. Frank DiLeo in Riverhead and Southampton from 1994 to 2008. Janet then retired early to support her loving spouse, Nancy Dillingham during her long battle with ovarian cancer. After her spouse passed, she went on to be a substitute pastor at Old Steeple Community Church, Baiting Hollow Congregational Church, Mount Sinai Congregational Church, Middle Island Congregational United Church of Christ, Amagansett First Presbyterian Church, Shinnecock Presbyterian Church, The Congregational Church of Huntington, Farmingville Church, Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ, Orient Congregational Church, Springs Community Presbyterian Church, Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Riverhead United Methodist Church, and Moriches Presbyterian Church. Throughout the years, Janet was an active member of many clubs and societies. These include officer roles in the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Society of Daughters of the American Colonists, past State President of the National Society of Colonial Dames, past Co-captain for United Way, past Co-President and Vice President of the Chenango Valley School District PTA, past Vice President of the Chenango Bridge Civic Association, past Vice President of the Women's Association at Chenango Bridge United Methodist Church, a Board of Trustee member of both Riverhead Free Library and Fenton Free Library, Secretary of the Riverhead Clergy Council, Board Member of the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ, member of the Suffolk Association Church and Ministry Committee, former Secretary of the Aquebogue Cemetery Association, former Secretary of the Town of Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force, volunteer for Maureen's Haven, member and former Pastoral Care pastor for Old Steeple Community Church, former member of the Board of Directors of Practical Resources for Churches (PRC), and a member of the Blind and Sighted, Old Steeple Stitchers, The Bookies book club, and Homemakers of Jamesport. Janet is survived by her children; Henry Cook III, Heather Barrett, and Helen Figueroa, by her grandchildren; Christopher Cook, Nicole Barrett, Bryan Cook, Marissa Figueroa, John Figueroa, and Donovan Barrett, her step-grandchild Zolainch Figueroa, her sister Linda Wright, her brother-in-law Bruce Dillingham and his partner Anna Dattilio, and her nieces and nephews-in-law; Colleen Lowell & family, Cheryl Abrahamian & family, Jill Smalls & family, and Ryan Dillingham & family. She was pre-deceased by her spouse, Nancy Dillingham. Throughout her life, Janet has always been very loving, altruistic, and a servant of God. She was delighted to do the Blessing of the Animals every year at Old Steeple Community Church and to sing in it’s choir every Sunday. In fact, she loved the members there as if they were family. She often volunteered to host coffee hour after services and was always helping out in any way she could, whether it be decorating the church, collecting water bottles & egg cartons, or donating food. Another passion of hers was saving feral and abandoned cats. Even though she loved all animals, cats held a special place in her heart. Personally, she and her spouse trapped, spayed/neutered, and released many cats near their home in Aquebogue; however, they also adopted many of them. Additionally, philanthropy was very important to Janet. She supported the homeless through one of her favorite charities, Maureen's Haven, and gave to charities from around the world to promote peace, ease suffering, fight against inequality, find cures to cancer and other debilitating diseases, and give support a plethora of animals. She got great comfort knowing her actions could make another person's life better, like an angel of love. Not only was Janet very altruistic, but talented as well. Her artistic skills were so amazing that no photograph could be more beautiful than her paintings. It was as if you could see the waves rippling and the trees swaying in many of them. She also had a charming soprano voice which she used to praise God in the choir, but she appreciated all forms of music as well and quite enjoyed going to concerts. Furthermore, Janet was a talented writer who could find just the right words to convey emotions and thoughts, which many people experienced through her sermons. Janet loved to travel, but it wasn’t until later in life that she traveled outside the states. Her first oversea trip was a Holy Tour which she took to celebrate becoming a pastor in 2014. Since then, she has gone on many European river cruises with her best friends. Other hobbies she had were gardening, fashion, painting, reading, and genealogy.

The family will receive visitors on Friday, December 13th from 2pm-4pm and 7pm-9pm at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will take place on Saturday, December 14th at Old Steeple Community Church in Aquebogue at 10am; interment will follow at Aquebogue cemetery. Memorial donations can be made to Maureen's Haven, 28 Lincoln Street, Riverhead, NY 11901; Old Steeple Community Church, PO box 154, Aquebogue, NY 11931, or Long Island Cares, 10 Davids Drive (Harry Chaplin Way), Hauppauge, NY 11788.