I was there with Bob when SWOOP became the focal point of skydiving for many of us at the University of Western Ontario. Bob’s passion, expertise and eagerness to teach the sport safely was ,and to this day, the very essence of skydiving in Canada. I feel a great loss with Bob’s passing, even though I have not jumped for many years. My heart and condolences go out to all of those who were close to him.

Alex Bodden

It takes a very special person to convince someone to jump out of a plane. And Bob was a very special person. I can’t begin to imagine what it was like to make that amazing moment happen for what must have been thousands of people. He really had a gift for empowering others to take that leap of faith. I regret not taking that jump with Bob, but I am grateful to have known him. He will be missed by so many of us left here beneath the clouds.

Mei Mei Burr

To Mary
Sorry to learn of Bob’s passing. Our condolences to you and your friends.

A Bright Light that will Always be above the Clouds! Love and Hugs to Mary and to All that will miss Him.
Leo and Lindsey Ducharme

As I’m sure with everyone I was devastated to find out about the sudden passing this pasted Monday.

I met Bob and Mary in the spring of 2017 because I wanted to hopefully get back into skydiving after a long history of health issues
that left me with a medical device which I will have for the rest of my life.
I wasn’t sure if skydiving was even possible living with this but took the risk and contacted several DZ’s and the only one that I got a positive response from was GB.

They asked me to come up and try on the harness to see if it would cause issues with the device.

About a week or so later I did the first jump course with Bob and jumped not long after and everything went absolutely perfect.

Both Bob and Mary took a chance with me and as I progressed they were always there to help out and I trusted both 100% and they never once let me down.

Bob was someone who really cared about student’s and of course the already licensed skydivers who came out regularly.
He was without a doubt a class acted and it breaks my heart knowing that people like him can’t be replaced.

Bob will always be in my thoughts and heart and every skydive I do will be in honour of him.

Rest In Peace my friend!

Dear Mary,

We extend our sincere condolences to you on the sudden loss of your dear husband Bob. He was always willing to lend a helping hand at our Eastern Star events when asked because he knew how important that was to you. You were a great team and he was so proud of your accomplishments! Gone too soon, but Bob will never be forgotten by the people he touched along his life’s path.

So sorry to hear of your sudden loss, Mary. You are in our prayers . May he rest in peace.
Wayne and Barb Paton

My deepest condolences to Bob’s family. His father and my grandfather were brothers. may he rest in peace.

We have lost a cherished friend and colleague. The world will never be the same. Our memories will help to fill the void but it was the day the skies were changed forever. To our dearest Mary we send all our love.

THE CAKE
-a story about Bob

As Ken and I were both jumpers, when our children were younger we brought them to the DZ with us every weekend. Hallowe’en must have occurred on a Saturday or Sunday that year as it prompted me to bake a cake in the shape of a pumpkin to help the children celebrate.

If you make two bunt cakes and pile them together on the flat edge, then ice it with orange icing it looks like a pretty decent pumpkin. My bunt tins had ridges so the effect was quite nice. I put it on the DZ display case so everyone could see what they’d be sharing at the end of the day.

In those days, what is now the equipment room was actually Bob’s office. The display case sat in front of it. This is where you went to talk to Bob and manifest, etc. That day everyone would have seen that cake. Bob would have been viewing it from the backside.

At the end of the day when it came time to cut the cake it came to light that Bob had been nibbling on it all day. With his fingers. Just the back where you couldn’t see it. He had slowly carved out a big chunk of cake over the course of hours. He wasn’t even sorry-he just had a sheepish grin. That was the day we discovered his sweet tooth.

After that we certainly still shared treats but we’re just a little more careful of where they were put.

Being a skydiver myself I met Bob at Skydive Grand Bend. He had a great personality, a great love of the sport of skydiving and contributed a lot to it, and he’ll be missed by the skydive community. My condolences to his family and friends.

Our years learning to skydive under the guidance of Bob Wright are cherished memories for us. Words can’t describe who he was to us, or all he did for us.

His character, intelligence, and happy demeanor, were always on display. He was giving, kind and patient and we were made to feel welcome, cared for, and important. Bob also attracted similar individuals, and through him we made many life long friends.

Nothing ever got in the way of safety in Grand Bend. Bob was particular for doing things correctly, and doing so 100% of the time. He taught well and maintained an amazing environment to experience the sport safely. It was Bob that attracted us to learn at his facility and it was Bob’s professionalism and care that kept us happy, safe and eager to invite our friends and loved ones to enjoy the same experiences.

Our deepest condolences to: Mary, Bob’s family and to all the people that knew him.

Thank you so much Bob: You were the center of one of the happiest, most exciting times of our life. Blue Skies to You !

Rocky and Tana Nash

Mary.. I am so sorry for your loss… you are in my thoughts

Glenda Waddell

Dear Mary,

My deepest condolences to you on the loss of your loving husband Bob. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Rose Vanbruaene

Bob taught me how to skydive many years ago. Probably totally unknown to him, he also taught me so many lessons that I still apply everyday in my life. On both accounts I am forever grateful. He really was one of these kind souls that are rare to meet, but you feel comfortable in their presence at all time. Although it has been a long time since I have been in the skys I still think often of the those days and the many fond memories.

Have a lot of good memories and times, back 50 years ago at Sexsmith airport when Bob was teaching skydiving and we had been learning to fly and build time in our Cessna 180.

Bob, you will be greatly missed Sarah and I have so many great memories from GBSPC. We did our first jumps with Bob and continued on learning how to skydive. Bob was such a great mentor and patient teacher to so many. I can remember my first jump when I landed in a neighbouring wheat field, to getting my solo to my A to my B all with Bob’s training. I can remember the winter jumps in January, that’s an experience!Haha
Life got busy the last 5-10 years, so I didn’t make it out as often as I would’ve liked, but I’d still be sure to pop in for a few jumps every year or 2 and it always felt like home. Bob always seamed happy to see me, it felt as if I was just there yesterday.
I can remember as young skydivers, all the hours just hanging around at the dz just waiting for the clouds to clear or the wind to die down, just to hopefully get one more jump in. We’d try to convince Bob that there’s a hole in the clouds and we should be able to jump, even though it was really only probably a 10’ hole. Bob would be very gracious with letting us down gently. Haha
We watched so many old skydiving videos and movies while waiting. We had so many good times.
Bob and Mary, you guys touched our lives much more then you know. My heart hurts, it feels like we’ve lost our skydiving Dad today.
We’ll always love you Bob

Mary,
I am so very sorry to hear of Bob’s sudden passing.. i knew him through the dental practice that I worked in for many years in Grand Bend. It was always interesting chatting with him about his latest skydiving adventure…we had a lot of chats over the years!
My deepest sympathy to you.
Paula LaPorte

Mary and family, sorry for your loss of Bob. He was a great skydiving teacher. It was many years ago that I skydived. So glad I saw you at the Sexsmith Airport this summer, and we got our picture taken. Bob was a gentle and adventurous man. Cherish your precious memories. Hugs and prayers, Sue and George Wilson

It was with much sadness to learn that Bob passed away so suddenly this past week. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Mary, Bob’s family and the whole skydiving community. Bob was one of those rare and exceptional people who had a huge impact on not only his chosen field of skydiving, but most remarkably on the thousands of people whose lives he touched in such an incredible way all these many years. Bob hired me as a jump pilot for SWOOP in the early spring of 1981; his leap of faith profoundly altered the course of my life and the type of person I was to become. I made my first jump shortly after and a few weeks later my first freefall….a 30 second delay “buddy jump” with Bob (a precursor to Accelerated Freefall, pioneered by Bob). Like many before and since, I was hooked. This beautiful and exhilarating sport became the focus of my life and over the next 10 to 12 years I learned so much from Bob, not only about jumping and flying, but about pursuing your passion, truly living life to the fullest and caring for people when they are at their most vulnerable (that is, the student jumper!). Life happened (family, demanding job, etc.); I stopped jumping and lost touch for many years. However I’m so grateful that this past summer, after close to 30 years, Bob, Mary, Liam and I re-connected at 10,500 on a beautiful autumn day. That jump was awesome and words can not describe just how good it felt to be back in the sky with my old friends. Now that Bob has left us that jump has become a treasure for me on a whole new level. Rest in peace Bob with blue skies and light winds. You will be greatly missed by many, but your amazing legacy will endure and your memory will live on for all of us.

I am saddened today to hear of the sudden passing of one of the Greatest Canadian Skydivers. I had the opportunity to jump with Bob and his lovely wife Mary just prior to the 2020 Pandemic! As we climbed to altitude off the sunny shores of Puerto Vallarta, I remember thinking how honoured I was to be doing a 4 way with the Wrights.
Mary please except my sincere condolences. I am sorry not to attend in person.
Bob….. blue skies forever.
Sharon Winter

Dear Mary,

We are so sad to hear about Bob’s passing. We wanted to let you know we are thinking of you and your family and sending so much love your way.

The Rapedius Family

Please accept my sincerest condolences. Bob and I made our first jumps together at Western back in 1970 from the large class of first time jumpers. Bob was such a nice guy, true gentleman who loved to jump. I envied him when he went to Zephyr Hills Florida that first year. We are sorry for your loss. Sincerely John and Debbie Rozalowsky, Kentville, Nova Scotia.

My sincere thanks to Bob for his instruction and guidance. I did my first jump in 1981 with Bob, and my first freefall later with Bob and Steve West. As I recall, he never smiled until everyone was back on the ground at the end of the day. Then he had a better smile than all of us. My sympathies to all who were so close to him for so long.
Marshall Kern A2071