There is no one more well known in the Wilson County School District than bus driver David Wright. The Lebanon, Tennessee man worked as a driver for kids in the region for close to 50 years before he passed away a few weeks ago on August 13 at the age of 76.
Wright was pretty much a legend in the area.
Many families had even ridden his bus for multiple generations, with grandparents, kids, and grandkids all being passengers at some point. Over the years, he touched thousands of students’ lives through his dedication to the job, and upon his passing, the community was devastated.
They figured what better way to honor him than to bury him in a casket shaped like a school bus.
It was a testament to his unwavering love for driving, and also, a beautiful way of keeping his memory alive.
“Besides the grandkids, that’s something he loved more than anything, being behind the wheel of that bus,” his son Calvin told CNN.
It was such a touching way of sending him off.
The bright yellow casket was carefully designed by Nashville Casket Sales, a family-owned business that specializes in custom funeral work. In the past, they have designed caskets for several departed members of the community including firefighters, kids, and local celebrities.
“That gentleman — I didn’t know him personally — it turns out he’s a legend in that area of town, so we’re just honored to be a part of it,” said owner of Nashville Casket Sales, Joe Stacey.
Written on the side of the yellow casket were the words “Wilson County Schools”, as well as the school bus logo and Wright’s bus number.
It looked just like the vehicle he had spent so much time in over the years and it made for a very fitting final resting place.
Wright’s funeral was held at the local Lebanon High School, the same place he had been honored just a few weeks prior by the Wilson County Schools for his life of service.
They planned on naming their transportation department after him.
According to a Wilson County Schools representative, Wright was “an incredible man with so many amazing stories to his credit.”
It’s clear that Wright was much-loved by everyone in Lebanon.
While he will be dearly missed, all of the community members are doing their best to make sure he won’t be forgotten. Even departments that were completely unrelated to the school district had nothing but nice things to say about him.
“Mr. Wright was a selfless leader his entire life by being the example we should all strive to be,” the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office told FOX17 Nashville.
“He never wanted or asked for anything in return for his service to the community which made him a special servant.”
For pretty much his entire life, Wright dedicated himself to being the best school bus driver possible. Through his steady efforts, over time, he was able to make an impact on so many. Although it’s likely he never imagined his service would end up making him a community legend, that’s exactly what happened.
Now, his memory will live on through all the people who had a chance to get to know him over the years while riding his bus.
See more photos of beautiful custom-made caskets below.
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