2025

Catherine Wright Obituary

Catherine Margaret Wright was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on  June 5, 1972. She grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia and northeast Columbia, South Carolina where she attended Forest Lake Elementary, Dent Middle School, one year as a boarder at St. Catherine’s in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from Richland Northeast High School. During her childhood, she spent lots of time with her Greek grandparents, enjoying Sunday Greek family dinners, gallivanting around with her Yiayia, and – being a quiet child-  she was allowed to hang out in her Papou’s office. Her dear Granny and her great-uncle Charles, both living in Virginia, were also the joy of her childhood. When Christmas came along, her Granny and Uncle Charles would join to celebrate, a  memory she treasured. She enjoyed summers in the North Carolina mountains at Camp Merriwood. When her dad became Director of the Peace Corps in Jamaica, the whole family moved to Jamaica, a wonderful time that gave her countless nostalgic memories, including her being allowed in the studio with Ziggy Marley while he recorded one of his records. Later she studied in Greece as an exchange student where she learned more about her Mother’s Leventis family heritage.

After further studies at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia and the University of Alabama Birmingham, she learned multi-family and commercial property management with her family company Wright Properties, Ltd. in northeast Columbia. She later channeled her interests more toward computer science and technology and became a data analyst with several internet research/data organizations. One of these was Gartner, whom she was with in Ft. Myers, Florida and Dublin, Ireland. Her excellent brain and hard work made her not only a cherished colleague but also winning her several “Employee of the Year” awards, at several different companies. The last 2 years she was the Director of Deal Strategy at Mparticle/Rokt.

Traveling was her life; cruising, relaxing, and seeing new horizons. In the end, she was still thinking and planning about sunny destinations and reminiscing about the nice trips she did in the past, before passing away at age 52 on February 7, 2025.

Her husband Joachim Verduyckt, a native of Belgium, remains at their residence in Lugoff, South Carolina. Her brother John Wright IV and wife Amy live nearby in Pontiac, South Carolina. Her two nephews Emmanuel and John Wright, V (wife Morgan), and two nieces, Abigail Wright and Meredith McGrail (husband Avery),  are all residents of Richland County, South Carolina. Her Mother and Father Trula Leventis and John Wright, III are retired and live in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was proud to be “Aunt Cathy” to her two great nieces, Margaret Kate Wright and McKenzie Nora McGrail of Richland County, South Carolina.

Catherine would be honored if you send a charitable donation in her memory to a charity of your choice. Memorial services for friends and family will be announced at a later date in Charlottesville, Virginia at the family burial site University of Virginia Cemetery. Her celebration of life services will be held at GraceLife Church, 501 Clemson Road Columbia, South Carolina 29229 on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM. For further information contact John Wright (803) 600-0392.

Kornegay Funeral Home, Lugoff-Elgin Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

Services

Celebration of Life
Saturday, March 8, 2025
11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
GraceLife Church (Clemson Road Columbia, South Carolina)
501 Clemson Road
Columbia, SC 29229