AMORY — Even though he had been retired from the bench for more than 20 years, most people still knew Fred Wright simply as “Judge Wright.” They also knew him as a man with a dry wit who believed in the value of public service.

The 92-year-old Wright died Thursday morning at Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center.

Fred Wright, a native of Amory, was a longtime public servant who served as First District Chancery Court Judge beginning in 1964, retiring in 1986, serving five terms unopposed. He had also served a short time in 1942 as Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney prior to leaving for service in the Air Force during World War II. Other appointments to the bench included one term as special Chancellor in Pontotoc County in 1964 and as Circuit Judge for one term in Alcorn County. He was also called periodically to serve on the Mississippi Supreme Court as Special Commission.

Wright also served the city of Amory as mayor for one term before turning to the parctice of law for many years in Monroe County.

He was an active member of many boards, including the Gilmore Memorial Hospital board and the Amory Federal Savings and Loan Association board where he had served as a director for 69 years.

John Clingan, president of Amory Federal, said Judge Wright was like a father figure to him. “He has been such a rock of stability for our institution,” Clingan said. “He gets much of the credit for the success of Amory Federal.”

According to Senator Hob Bryan of Amory, Wright held the distinction of being the only district chancery judge to hail from the city of Amory. It was a job that Wright took seriously, judging those who came before his bench with fairness and integrity.

“When I first started practicing law and he was a judge, I found that he was universally recognized as a fine judge,” said Sen. Bryan. “He was well thought of across the eight-county district.”

Despite Wright’s impish sense of humor, Bryan said Judge Wright always knew he was in charge of his courtroom. No one else ever had to wonder either about who was in charge. “He had enough self-confidence to be patient with young lawyers, too,” Bryan said.

“He took being a judge seriously and took the decisions he made seriously,” Bryan said, “without being pompish about himself.”

Bill Fowlkes of Amory, who is retired after serving many years as Monroe County Youth Court Judge, remembers a long friendship with Wright.

“When I had gotten out of college in 1941, Fred Wright had gotten out of law school. He had established a law practice in Amory.”

“All the years I had with him as youth court judge, he was always a fair judge,” Fowlkes recalls. “He was truly a Southern gentleman. He was fun in court, too.”

Fowlkes said while traveling throughout Northeast Mississippi, he never heard anyone ever say anything bad about Judge Wright. “He was respected by all.”

Wright was senior chancellor when Howard Moon of Becker served as Monroe County’s Chancery Clerk beginning in 1976. Moon fondly remembers working with Judge Wright. “I don’t know that I had ever overheard the winning or the losing attorney say they didn’t have a fair day in court when Judge Wright was on the bench,” said Moon.

He was a wonderful mentor to young attorneys and court clerks alike, Moon said. “He was just a class act. If you asked his advice, he’d give it to you and you could trust it,” Moon said.

In later years, Moon said he saw other judges follow Wright’s judicial model in the courtroom “They tried to model themselves after him,” Moon said. “He set the standard.”

Among Wright’s many philanthropic acts through the years was the donation of his great-great-grandfather’s log cabin to Amory’s museum several years ago. It is still in use for historical exhibits and tours.

Funeral services are set for 1 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Amory with burial to follow in the Masonic Cemetery.