Viewing: Tuesday, 4-8PM, December 27, 2016. Range Funeral Home 5727 NW 17th Avenue, Miami Florida. Phone 305-691-4343.
Funeral Service: Wednesday,11AM, December 28, 2016 at Antioch Baptist Church, 21311 NW 34th Ave, Miami Gardens, FL 33056, Reverend, Author Jackson III, Pastor. Range Funeral Home officiating.
Interment: Forrest Lawn Memorial Garden Central, 499 NW 27th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311, Phone: 954-581-9033.
Repass: Wednesday, December 28th, 2016. The Urban League of Broward County, Address: 560 NW 27th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 Time: 2:30 PM - 7:00 PM, Phone: (954) 584-0777.
OBITUARY FOR SONNY WRIGHT
”As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7
Sonny Wright, 81, was born in Swainsboro, GA January 22, 1935 to parents Bessie Burley and Lindzey Wright. His family later migrated to Brooklyn, New York when he was a young child. While growing up in Brooklyn, Sonny showed great promise and leadership skills at an early age. He was elected to serve as Cooper Junior High School’s student government president and upon graduation went on to attend the local high school. Although he only had one course to complete, Sonny decided to leave and pursue a career with the United States Postal Service. While working there for some time, he became very intrigued with the idea of travelling to Havana Cuba to explore the Afro-Cuban culture. In the 1950’s, he left his coveted postal position in New York and travelled to Florida with a focus on Cuba. After returning back to Florida with no job, no money and no plan, he decided to settle in Miami, Florida and began working odd jobs in the Overtown community to make ends meet. It was during this time he became conscious of the disparity in Miami’s African American community and wanted to start a black-owned business as a means of infusing money into the black community. He eventually made enough money to start Sonny’s Sportsman Luncheonette in Overtown and employed neighborhood kids to work the crowds on Sunday’s. One of his most notable hires was a waitress – Veronise J. Strong – who was a recent graduate of Tuskegee University’s School of Nursing. She later became his wife and partner for more than 50 years.
In the early 1960’s, Sonny transitioned out of the restaurant business after an encounter with a local real estate broker. It was then that he was encouraged to acquire his real estate license and went on to complete the Cecilia Brooks School of Real Estate course in Miami Beach. As a newly licensed sales associate, he began working for real estate brokers Howard Reigler and Judson Owens at their office on 4600 NW 7th Ave. In 1965, he purchased the business from them and the building from Attorney Kaufman and went on to establish Universal Real Estate, Inc. This business was a welcomed addition to a then transitioning community and thrived with as many as 28 licensed sales people. In the 1970’s, Universal was featured in Black Enterprise Magazine as being 30th out of 100 top black-owned businesses in the United States grossing more than 5.9 million in annual sales. Universal Real Estate, Inc. served the Liberty City Community for more than 50 years.
To further expand his vision, Sonny established a myriad of related companies to service all aspects of a real estate transaction, which he named after his children. These businesses included Fort Lauderdale Investors which he used to acquire more than 640 acres of land near Disney in Orlando, Florida. The land was subdivided and sold to investors in parcels throughout the United States and as far as Hong Kong. John David Development, Corporation – named after his son- was used to build 24 homes in Opa Locka, Florida as part of an affordable housing initiative. Adrian Loan, Inc. – named after his daughter - was a financing vehicle used to assist first time home buyers with down payments.
Sonny also served on many boards as a means of opening doors for future economic growth in Miami’s underserved communities. His service included, but was not limited to, participation as a board member of the Urban League of Greater Miami, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, NAACP, Miami Board of Realtors (first black member), National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Miami Sports Authority, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Family Health Center, African Trade Development Center and also served as Chairman of the Florida Real Estate Commission, Trustee Emeritus for Florida International University, Founding Chairman for the Foundation for Democracy in Africa.
In 1983, at the height of his career, Sonny became the Founder, Chairman and CEO of People’s Bankshares, Inc. which purchased controlling interest in People’s National Bank of Commerce and became Florida’s first black-owned bank. Sonny created South Florida News Week and was the former owner of the historic Carver Hotel in Overtown and the first African American to purchase a home on La Gorce Island in Miami Beach –now owned by Rap Artist Little Wayne.
Although Sonny was a well accomplished businessman, he was best known by his friends and family as being a visionary, community activist and family man. He was an ordinary man, who accomplished extraordinary things.
After a courageous battle with cancer, Sonny passed December 12, 2016 at Doctor’s Community Hospital in Lanham, Maryland. He will undoubtedly be missed by family, friends and colleagues. His siblings Ada Mae Paschal and Boisey Shoemake preceded him. He leaves behind his cherished wife of 50 years Veronise J. Strong-Wright, son John David Wright, daughter’s Shinekqua L. Baines and Denise A. Wright-Webster, son-in law Phillip L. Webster II, grandchildren Bruce, Brintese and Brandden Thompson, Madison and Phillip L. Webster III, niece Tangular Y. Hopkins and a host of family members in Swainsboro, GA.
“Some people watch things happen, some people make things happen and others ask, what happened?”
“The things yee are seeking are also seeking yee”
“As a man thinketh so is he”
“It ain’t what your looking at, it’s what you see”
“The name of the game is to stay in the game”
“It ain’t over till it’s over”
“You don’t cry when you win, so don’t cry when you lose”
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, you can’t hit what you can’t see, rumble young man rumble”
“It ain’t bragging if you can do it”
“The whole world loves a winner”
“They knock you down, get back up and start over again”
“It’s not the steak, it’s the sizzle”
“Walk and chew gum at the same time”
“Old to soon, smart too late”
"IF" By Rudyard Kipling
(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
OneUnited Bank stands on the shoulders of Sonny Wright. When he founded Peoples National Bank of Commerce in 1983, he made it possible for us to create the first Black owned interstate bank in 1991 when we merged with Peoples and the largest Black owned bank in America today.
Mr. Wright's spirit is in all of us at OneUnited and we will continue to work hard to live up to his ideals.
Personally, I ran into Mr. Wright and his wife earlier this year and then tried to schedule a meeting to learn more about the history of Peoples. Unfortunately for me, that meeting did not happen. Reading this memorial has helped me understand and appreciate our shared history and the strength of his character.
My prayers are with his family.
Teri Williams
President & COO
OneUnited Bank
