Bobby Joe Wright

Bobby Joe Wright, 62, of Robinson, IL, passed away on April 8, 2026, at Crawford Memorial Hospital in Robinson.

He was born on June 26, 1963, in Robinson, the son of Gary Wright and Donna (Boyles) Wright. From the very beginning, Bobby lived life in his own way and on his own terms. Even as a kid, the things that would define him were already in place. He had music in his ears, animals at his feet, a fishing pole in his hand whenever there was water nearby, and a bike under him the rest of the time. He never really outgrew any of it. The bike got bigger and louder over the years, eventually becoming a Harley he rode with ABATE on poker runs, but the kid who just wanted to be outside and moving was always in there somewhere.

Bobby went to work young and stayed working for a long time. He put in time at a number of local employers, but the job that suited him best was the fourteen years he spent running the Robinson Township Cemeteries, where he could be outside, work with his hands, and bring his animals along. The cats that wandered through the cemetery grounds knew they had found the right person.

Animals were always part of the picture. Since boyhood, there was always a dog at his side, and the names ran long over the years: Huck, Smokey, Buddy, Caramel, Browning, Chance, and one he simply called "Dog." There were cats too, and roosters and hens and ducks, and pretty much anything else that needed feeding. If it had feathers, fur, or a heartbeat, Bobby had time for it.

He had time for people the same way. You could not walk through Wal-Mart with Bobby and get out in under an hour. Somebody was always stopping him, and he was always stopping for them. He knew everybody, and what was rarer, everybody seemed glad to see him coming. And if they came as far as his front door, he was going to feed them. Bobby could cook just about anything, but barbecue was his territory. He ran his own outfit for a stretch, Dusty Trail BBQ, and competed in contests all over the region, bringing home awards for his pulled pork and ribs.

When he was not at the smoker, he was probably outside doing something else. He fished anywhere there was water that would hold a fish. He hunted deer in the fall and mushrooms in the spring. He camped at Sullivan and Sam Parr, and if he couldn't stay overnight, he would drive out for the day and call it "camping" anyway. He kept a garden every year and grew tomatoes, asparagus, corn, volunteer pumpkins, and sunflowers tall enough to make you stop and look.

The soundtrack to all of it was loud and unapologetic. Bobby was a classic rock man through and through, and Kiss was his band. When Adam's mother was pregnant with him, Bobby would press a boombox against her belly and play Kiss for the baby, starting Adam's musical education early. He loved Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin too, but he had just as much room for Willie, Waylon, and Merle. He had a long-running soft spot for Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles and posted her picture on Facebook just about every day, which his friends came to expect (and perhaps, enjoy).

Then there was the Indy 500, which was a category all its own. He and the family went every year. They would load up the minivan the day before, drive out, and catch the parade on the straightaway the night before the race. Those trips were the kind a family could never forget.

Bobby was not a saint, and he would be the first to tell you so. He had wins and he had losses, and the losses were not small ones. But the wins were real, too. His boys. His grandkids. A smoker running low and slow. A dog at his feet. A fishing line in the water. A song he knew every word to coming on the radio. A place at his table for anybody who wandered up to it. He measured his life in those, and by that measure, the man came out ahead.

He is survived by his sons, Lyndell Wright and Adam (Michlynn) Wright; his grandchildren, Kennedy Wright, Madison Wright, and Blakely Wright; his mother, Donna Wright; and his siblings, Scott Wright, Rick Wright, Adrian (Jeffery) Austin, and Matthew Wright; as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Gary Wright; his twin sister, Tracy Ann (in infancy); his niece, Janna Lee; and his former wife and the mother of his children, Pam Wright.

A time of visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson. A celebration of his life will immediately follow at 1:00 p.m., with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. Burial will be in the Robinson New Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to his memorial fund, with checks made payable to Goodwine Funeral Homes. Donations may also be made online at www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/payments.