Kari Lynne Wright

Kari Lynne Wright, aged 51, unexpectedly passed away and began her eternal rest on July 1st, 2025, in Duluth, Minnesota.

Kari was born on March 28th, 1974, in Denver, Colorado, to her loving parents, Ted and Jeananne Wright. She joined her two older brothers, Rhett and Bert, and later made her home in Duluth, where she spent the last 20 years of her life.

Kari was and is a lifelong teacher and learner. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from CU Boulder, she went on to complete a Master’s degree at Kent State University. She devoted over 20 years of her life to education, 13 of them teaching and mentoring in the field of anthropology. In recent years she found her greatest joy teaching 6th grade science at Lincoln Park Middle School, where she served her students with the most open of hearts.

Above all else, Kari is and will always be a mother; not just to her own children, Kiel and Anja Kuhlke, whom she put above all else, but to the world. Her love had a way of finding those who needed it most, and her life was a living expression of kindness, empathy, and prodigious compassion.

She was an active member of Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church, where her patron saint, Saint Sophia, Mother of Orphans, deeply reflected the life she led. Kari was a safe and welcoming heart everywhere she was, her gravitational pull and unwavering love will live on in the souls of those she touched.

A lifelong animal lover, Kari was a daily presence in Chester Bowl Park with her dogs Shadow, Matterhorn, and Wally, in every kind of weather. She had a true warmth for the world that was evident in the actions she took. An avid traveler, camper, rock climber, kayaker, and artist, she instilled in her children the greatest gift she could have; a lust for life and an appreciation for nature.

Kari is preceded in death by her father, Ted. She is survived by her children, Kiel and Anja; her mother, Jeananne Wright; her brothers, Rhett (Marcy) and Bert (Laura) Wright; and a wide circle of extended family, friends, students, and loved ones.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, July 9th from 5–7 p.m., with Trisagion prayers at 6:30 p.m. at Dougherty Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Thursday, July 10th, 11:00 a.m. at Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church, 632 E 2nd Street, Duluth.

We kindly ask that those attending bring a memory, moment, or story about Kari to share, in order to honor her life in the way she lived it: with love, connection, and celebration.