Eugene Wright, 89 U.S. circuit judge

The 6-foot-3-inch tall Eugene Wright used to drive a bronze Volkswagen beetle with his top hat hanging out the sunroof. And when his daughter, Meredith Morton, gave birth to a son, he sent her a telegram that stated, "Congratulations. You should name him Horton."

Although Horton Morton never came to be, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge always kept his family and co-workers laughing with his sense of humor.

"He was really very, very funny," said his daughter, who lives in Olympia.

He also was regarded by his peers as a consummate judge, known for his crisply written legal opinions.

Judge Wright died Tuesday of pneumonia and congestive heart failure at Seattle's Virginia Mason Hospital. He was 89.

Born in Seattle, Judge Wright graduated from Broadway High School. In Latin class, he sat behind a girl named Esther Ladley.

The classmates crossed paths on the University of Washington campus a few years later.

"I was walking and bumped into this tall, good-looking man. ... He said, 'Can I call you?' And that was the beginning," she recalled.

Judge Wright proposed by delivering a 5-pound box of chocolates to Ladley's sorority house. And then he mailed her a diamond ring while she was living in New York.

"It was romantic," said the now Esther Wright of Seattle. "We were together all the time for 71 years."

Judge Wright graduated from the UW School of Law in 1937 and joined his father's law firm of Wright and Wright. In 1941, he joined the Army where he translated Japanese documents and interrogated prisoners in the South Pacific with language skills developed in college.

He was appointed to the King County Superior Court bench in 1954 and served there for 12 years. In 1969, President Nixon appointed him to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"He was a judge's judge," said U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Tallman. "He was known for his collegiality and his willingness to assist particularly new judges on the court in understanding the duties of judging."

And his opinions were a "model of brevity and clarity," reflecting his initial hope to become a reporter, Tallman said.

"We used to marvel at his ability to take complicated subjects and reduce them to simple, understandable legal opinions," he said.

Besides his wife and daughter, Judge Wright is survived by his sister, Florence Russell of Seattle; son, Gerald Wright of Portola Valley, Calif.; grandson, Alex Morton of Federal Way; and a great-granddaughter.

A memorial service is being scheduled. Remembrances may be made to the "Eugene A. Wright Scholarship Fund" at the University of Washington School of Law, 1100 N.E. Campus Parkway, Seattle, WA 98105-6617.

Gina Kim: 206-464-2761 or gkim@seattletimes.com