Sister Mary Lou Wright (Carmella Marie), 79, beloved member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield in her 63rd year, died at Mont Marie Health Care Center, Holyoke, Mass. on November 24, 2014. A native of Milford, Mass., she was the daughter of Herbert and Carmella (Consoletti) Wright.
Sister entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield from St. Mary Parish, Milford. She was graduated from St. Mary High School. She earned an A.B. degree from the College of Our Lady of the Elms, Chicopee; a M.S. degree from University of Detroit, and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Sister Mary Lou taught one year at Cathedral Grammar School, Springfield, before beginning her graduate studies in biology. She was a member of the faculty at the College of Our Lady of the Elms since 1958. After her retirement in 2008 she continued to teach part-time through spring 2014. Over the years the many grants which she received, totaling over $750,000, made it possible for students to collaborate with her on research which they conducted during the summer and the academic year. Many of these students went on to follow careers in research and teaching themselves. Among her many achievements was the presenting of a paper at the XIII International Congress of Comparative Endocrinology in Yokohama, Japan.
In addition to her Sisters in Community, she is survived by her brothers, Herbert Wright of Milford, George Wright of Harwich Port, Mass., and her sister Florence Wright of Worcester.