Funeral details released for Sir William Wright as tributes continue to flood in

Sir William passed away peacefully in the early hours of yesterday morning at his home in Ballymena.

A service of thanksgiving for the life and witness of Sir William, a father of three, grandfather of 10 and great grandfather of 13, will be held in Green Pastures Church, Ballymena on Wednesday at 2pm.

One of the first people to pay tribute to Sir William was North Antrim MP Ian Paisley who said: “With the passing of Sir William Wright, Ballymena has lost a giant.

“A Godly man of faith. A loyal Ulsterman. An entrepreneur without match. We will not see his like again.”

He added: “He was one of the last true captains of industry and commerce and a man who has left his mark, not just locally but globally. Wherever there is engineering or manufacturing or sales of buses his genius will be remembered.

“I have had the honour of knowing him and his family for decades. He was both a political and business leader.

“He cared passionately about the employment and skills training of local people. He loved Northern Ireland and he was dedicated in everything that he did.

“When in his presence you knew you were with someone remarkable. He had that X factor that so few possess. But those who have it make a difference to all around. Northern Ireland was so fortunate to have him as a son.”

Declan O’Loan, former SDLP councillor and MLA, described Sir William as a “maverick character”.

He said: “We were both members of Ballymena Borough Council, and I was always struck by the contrast between William Wright the businessman and his views as a politician.

“In his business, he was a real entrepreneur and very forward looking, developing new technologies and moving into the international market. In politics he was a dinosaur, and resisted every move towards power sharing and sensible control of parades.

“He was a maverick character.”

The Ulster Unionist Party’s North Antrim MLA Robin Swann described the passing of Sir William Wright as a tremendous loss, not just to his family circle but also to unionism, the business community, the Loyal Orders and the Christian Church.

Mr Swann said: “Sir William Wright will rank as one of north Antrim’s most legendary figures.

“He built Wrightbus into a global brand and his dedication to unionism was also known throughout the globe, especially in his past role as a Ballymena councillor.

“He will always be remembered as a stalwart for Northern Ireland. His very sound political, business and Christian guidance will be very sadly missed by the entire community.”

TUV leader Jim Allister commented: “The passing of Sir William Wright is a sad and seminal moment for the town and community of Ballymena and district.

“A Freeman of the Borough, few have left such an indelible legacy in terms of lasting jobs and contribution to economic, engineering and manufacturing success in the area.

“Wrightbus, which he built up so assiduously, remains both a key and large employer in the district and leader in terms of trail-blazing technology, presently evident in the hydrogen and electric bus market.

“Much of this success can be traced to the foresight and leadership of Sir William.

“I wish to convey to his widow and family sincere Christian sympathy.”

DUP councillor and former Wrightbus employee John McAuley said: “Outside of work, I shared common interests with William including a passion for politics and the Loyal Orders which resulted in many interesting and informative conversations with him during my Wrightbus days which I will forever treasure.

“We have all lost a great man but that loss is nothing compared to William’s family who have lost a husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, all of whom he loved dearly and I know they will miss him immensely and to them all I express my sincere condolences at this very sad time.”

Meryvn Storey said Sir William was “an outstanding entrepreneur” as well as “a unionist and Orangeman without apology no matter where in the world he was”.

Alderman John Carson said: “My wife Elizabeth and I have had the privilege of knowing Sir William and Lady Wright for many years and have many memories of happy times of fellowship we had together, to us they were just Willie and Ruby.

“Although Sir William rose to the very pinnacle of commerce and industry he never forgot his roots.

“He was a true Ballymena man and an outstanding Ulsterman who was not afraid to make his voice heard in the political field.­

“When I first entered politics myself I received much encouragement and wise counsel from Sir William.

“I considered it a great privilege to be present when William was honoured with the freedom of Ballymena.­­

“Sir William was a man of very deep Christian faith and I know many in the Lord’s work who benefited greatly from his kindness and generosity.”

Ahead of Sir William’s funeral on Wednesday his family have asked that the house remains strictly private and that no flowers are given. Instead donations in memory of Sir William can be made if desired, payable by cheque to the Gracehill Moravian Church Building Fund c/o Alan Francey Funeral Services, 94 Toome Road Ballymena.