College Mourns Passing of Friend, Mentor Morgan-Wright

Author: Elizabeth Logue Editorial Assistant

The Middlebury College and Addison County community are mourning the loss of Maggie Morgan-Wright, a resident of Bristol and assistant at the Pan-African Latino Asian Native American Center (PALANA), who passed away on Jan. 2. Morgan-Wright's health had been steadily declining since November, according to close friend Lenna Cumberbatch '99.

Despite several health problems and being confined to her home since her first serious hospitalization in August, Cumberbatch stated that many people were surprised by Morgan-Wright's death.

Described as being very talkative and welcoming, close friends said it was hard to believe that Morgan-Wright was even sick.

Morgan-Wright is most well-known for her commitment to the PALANA Center and her work with PALANA Kids, a program which seeks to bring students on campus together with members of the Addison County community.

Peg Myhre, a staff nurse at Parton Health Center and one of many staff and students that worked with Morgan-Wright to help found PALANA Kids five years ago, described the program as a way to provide mentors and role models to children, particularly those in trans-racially adoptive families

"The PALANA Kids program is a way for the kids, the students and our familes to get together on an informal basis for pizza parties, story telling, Kwanza celebrations and ski days," among many other activities, said Myhre.

Morgan-Wright would often open her home to the PALANA Kids and their families during Kwanza celebrations and family barbecues. Myhre recalls Morgan-Wright as being truly excited about the PALANA program, saying, "She would always invite our families and students to come to her house. She would even call up and say 'I'm having a barbecue, you should come and let other families know,'" said Myhre.

ADA Coordinator Elizabeth Christensen also knew Morgan-Wright, who started at the College in 1998 to work exclusively on the PALANA Center. Christensen said that Morgan-Wright was heavily involved in making Thanksgiving Dinners at the Center.

Thanksgiving at PALANA reached out to an even broader community since it was always well-attended by international students who "are not able to go home on that break, [so it] was a place to have a real meal," said Christensen.

Cumberbatch also recalled PALANA Thanksgivings as being something Morgan-Wright was particularly devoted to.

"I remember one Thanksgiving, her pulling up in the car with her grandson and the two of them just kept coming out of the car with loads of food they had cooked … I think there were over 70 people there that year," said Cumberbatch, who developed a very close relationship with Morgan-Wright in 1997 when she took a year off.

It was, according to Cumberbatch, a difficult time in her life, but someone suggested that she speak with Morgan-Wright.

Morgan-Wright was willing to to help and invited Cumberbatch to live with her. Cumberbatch lived there, free of charge, for nearly three months.

The two stayed remained close up until Morgan-Wright's death.

Leroy Nesbitt, senior advisor for institutional diversity, pointed out that Morgan-Wright often "provided support in many intangible and personal ways" that enriched life at Middlebury.

Cumberbatch concurred, noting that Morgan-Wright had developed close and helpful relationships with many others.

Twilight Artist-in-Residence Francois Clemmons said of Morgan-Wright, "Her presence on the campus of Middlebury College gave me a greater sense of being at home." Clemmons felt an extra connection with Morgan-Wright since both she and Clemmon's mother shared similar tastes in music.

Morgan-Wright was educated at Alabama State University, Pepperdine University and the University of California, where friends said "she still had strong ties."

She worked as an educator for over 30 years, owned two nursery schools and worked with foster children for many years.

Christensen, a mother of three, said that Morgan-Wright knew her family well. "I feel lucky that my children had a chance to see how much she loved children … [Morgan-Wright's death] was their first experience with someone passing away."

Morgan-Wright first moved to Bristol over 30 years ago. "She married a Vermonter," Cumberbatch said, but she tried to split her time between here and California.

Morgan-Wright was predeceased by her husband, Stephen Morgan, in 1977.

In recent years, while working at the College, Morgan-Wright retired to Bristol. Cumberbatch noted that while Morgan-Wright was retired, she did not consider her work at PALANA and with students to be a job.

"She knew that she did not have to be here," Cumberbatch said.

Myhre believes that the "sensibilities that come with being a teacher, a businesswoman and a parent" all contributed to her success at the College.

In addition to working at PALANA, Morgan-Wright also owned and operated a boutique called the Wright One Boutique.

Christensen noted that Morgan-Wright was committed, particularly around high school prom season, to providing options for young women in the community.

"She got all kinds of fabulous dresses. She really had a lot of fun and delight in picking out gowns," said Christensen.

Asked what Morgan-Wright's most noteworthy accomplishment was at Middlebury, Cumberbatch believed it to be that "she had a hand in making sure that [many events] started, and in different ways and different forms they've continued even now … She brought so many different people together."

This weekend is the Alumni of Color Weekend, which, according to her close friends, was an event that Morgan-Wright cared deeply about.

For now, Cumberbatch said, people in the College community and beyond have "come to terms with [Morgan-Wright's death]." She added, however, that "a lot of that will change at the memorial service."

"I think there will be a lot of emotional people."

Morgan-Wright's memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 20 t 4 p.m. in Mead Chapel.