Marjorie J. Wright

We celebrate the beautiful and adventurous life of Marjorie Wright (Cyka nee McClellan), who passed away on August 30, 2025, at the age of 102. She died from complications a body will create after staying in the "on" mode for over 100 years. She wanted to keep going, but eventually her body said it was done. She was in the loving care of her stepdaughters Vivian and Debbie til the very end and beyond.

Marj was the second eldest of 5 sisters, Lois Means (pre-deceased), was the oldest, then Marj, her sister Winona Mossberg  (pre-deceased), Barbara (Artwohl) Olsen (pre-deceased), and Elaine (Rasmussen) Woodard (pre-deceased). They were the daughters of the esteemed architect Edward McClellan and Olga (nee Silberman) McClellan. Marj loved to perform in homemade plays with her sisters as a child, most especially Little Women, where she consistently cast herself into the role of Jo. " I was the director and felt I was best as Jo" she would say with a smile and a laugh whenever she told the story. The leading role persona was not just part of her childhood, as an adult, she was constantly in the decision-making roles, she was perpetually on the board of directors or the planning committee or the managing department of most all activities and events she joined.

Born on October 10, 1922, in Chicago's south side, Marj was a shrewd and skilled card player; she  loved golf and watching football. She often told stories of trips she would take with her father to Chicago White Sox games. Did I mention, she loved to put on plays as a child and playing cards? Yes, even as an adult with her church community, she would perform in the winter holiday Wassail shows, singing and dancing and acting. She sang in her church choir and would act in plays written by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She met her first husband, Irv Cyka (deceased), during the time she worked at what is now called Jewel Osco (then it was Jewel Foods). She worked in accounting, and he was the head of the meat department.

Marj was an amazing and doting wife and a tremendously caring stepmother, a kind and doting grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great grandmother. She inherited these extended family members after marrying her second husband Dr. Francis H. Wright in 1986. To help keep the family in touch, she welcomed this band of generations into her home for regular  visits known as "First Sundays", where any family member could drop in to visit, have a meal, play cards or other board games, watch tv and just be together. Up to 40 people would attend, sometimes more, usually in waves, but occasionally all at once. Marj always enjoyed it and kept it alive though changing family numbers up through the pandemic, which eventually made it dwindle. She loved visitors and visiting. She loved her hair appointments with her friend Peggy. She loved to go to the theater, to the ballet and to movies with her husband and her inherited children.

Marj also invited this inherited  family to her own family's cottage for a week in the summer. There they could all eat together, play on the beach together, swim, swing, put on shows, swap stories, sit by a bonfire and spend time alone as a family. These would be all night events for the full weekend and some weekdays. Again, upwards of 40+ family members would come and every year it seemed like a new baby, a new spouse or old cousins  not seen for years would add to the joy by attending and sharing a part of their lives together. Marj was the control center of those gatherings and one of her stepchildren told her that these house meetings and cottage gatherings helped keep the family closer than it had ever imagined it could be without her entering their lives. She always made sure visitors were well fed, comfortable, had a place to sleep and were enjoying themselves as best she could.

Marj lived a long life and continued to be active in every way she could for as long as she could. Through falls and accidents, breaks and bruises, through laughter and joy and curiosity and exploration, Marj did everything she set her mind to do. This included, as mentioned before, working and succeeding in a man's world in the paper products sales industry. In the late 1940s, she was employed in sales by St. Regis Paper Company. She'd go to sales meetings in rooms with 72 men; she was the only woman.  She, in fact, was the first woman to work for that company in sales – not just working, but winning awards in the field. She was actively involved in the Flossmoor Book Club for nearly 50 years and was part of the process decision think tank behind the club.  Volunteering for Meals on Wheels, being an active and precision-based Bookkeeper and helping the Village Door. All of this while still able to attend to and send love to her own family and her newly inherited family mentioned above. Later in life with her second husband, they would travel the world on cruises, on camels and in cars. They renewed their marriage vows in many countries through many religious services "so that we would really know that we were really married" (said at one point by Dr Wright).

Strong-willed and defiant to the  end, Marj held onto life with a will and desire to continue being in this world until her body said, "no more". Her body was eventually unable to match her will and after the sands of her time clock finally gave out, Marj passed quietly on her own terms in her own time.

Marj is survived by and was the proud stepmother of Catherine (John) Scheffki (deceased), Deborah (Mike) Cook, Dr. Karen Wright O'Donnell (deceased), Vivian (Todd) Panagopoulos, Vernon Wright, Kevin (Machelle) Wright, Stephen (Allen Shechtman) Wright, Mary "Mickey" (Pat Burke) Wright, William "Bill" (Marie) Wright, and Dr. Phranque Wright. She is survived by 13 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held September 21st from 12:00pm until time of service beginning at  1:00 pm at Tews-Ryan Funeral Home 18230 Dixie Highway in Homewood, Il.  https://www.tews-ryanfh.com 708-798-5300.