MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tom Wright, 87, and his son Tyler Wright, 32, tragically lost their lives Tuesday in a house fire in Southaven, according to family, friends, and Southaven Police. Authorities responded to the blaze in the 800 block of Oaklawn Place, near Rasco Road and Elmore. Tyler’s mother, Karla Wright, was also hospitalized following the fire and is currently recovering.
The Wright family was well-known and deeply respected in the Southaven community. Friends remembered Tyler as a talented athlete, excelling in both football and baseball during his time at Southaven. “Tyler, he was a football star, a baseball star at Southaven, very popular. And he just got along with everybody. Everybody loved him, and it’s just a tragedy that this has happened,” said Dalton Dawson, a longtime family friend.
Dawson shared that he and Tyler became best friends in elementary school, a bond that lasted well into adulthood. In response to the tragedy, he started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and support Karla Wright’s recovery and medical expenses. “Recovery for their mother, Mrs. Karla, and you know, just to help her out in the next year or so, to help pay for bills or anything that’s needed,” Dawson explained.
As the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the Southaven community continues to mourn the loss of both Tom and Tyler Wright. Loved ones are holding on to cherished memories of the family, celebrating their lives and the positive impact they had on everyone who knew them.
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