Captain Douglas Scott Wright, US Navy (Ret.)

May 19, 1942 – September 30, 2026

Captain Douglas Scott Wright, USN (Ret.), of Oceanside, California, died peacefully on September 30, 2026, at the age of 84.

Doug was born in Annapolis, Maryland, the youngest of three children, to Rear Admiral William Dudley Wright Jr. (US Naval Academy, Class of 1923), a decorated World War II officer, and Helen Rolls Wright, an artist. Although the family moved often, he called Stonington, Connecticut, home. Doug returned to Annapolis as a midshipman at the US Naval Academy, graduating in 1965 with a degree in Systems Engineering. After Navy nuclear power training, he began a distinguished 26-year career as a submarine officer.

Early in his Navy career, Doug served on several submarines and went on to command the USS Bremerton (SSN-698) from 1982 to 1985—a tour that earned the Battle Efficiency “E,” Engineering “E,” and the Navy Unit Commendation. Doug later commanded the Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and concluded his active duty at the Pentagon, retiring as a Navy Captain in 1991. His military decorations include two Legion of Merit awards, the Meritorious Service Medal, and three Navy Commendation Medals.

Following his naval service, Doug began a second career as an international defense consultant, first working with the South Korean Navy in Seoul. He then led US military assistance programs in Alexandria, Egypt, and advised several other international submarine programs before fully retiring in 2004.

In 1969, Doug met his future wife, Carol Anne Sturgin, in Maryland, where she was serving as an officer in the Royal Naval on exchange from the UK. They married in Reading, England, on August 21, 1970. During his active-duty years, they made their home largely in Hawaii, where their sons were born.

Together, Doug and Carol shared a love of home renovation and could practically build an entire house from scratch. Later in life, Doug took up golf—Carol’s lifelong passion—and the two frequently competed in couples tournaments. They treasured the close community and friendships they built living on the golf course at Ocean Hills Country Club, their home since 2004.

Doug is survived by Carol, his wife of 56 years; their sons, Colin Scott Wright, an intellectual property attorney, and his husband, Terence “Toby” Bryan, a banker; William “WillD” Douglas Wright (US Naval Academy, Class of 1995), a Naval aviator and pilot for UPS, and his wife, Dr. Joy Bloom Wright (US Naval Academy, Class of 1993), a Naval Flight Officer and psychologist; and three grandsons, Thomas Colin Wright, a US Navy Ensign in medical school; James Douglas Wright, a graduate of Stanford and current graduate student; and Jack Christopher Wright, an actor and online personality. Doug was preceded in death by his brother and sister, William Polk Wright and Barbara Hodsdon Ullyot, who affectionately called him Dougal.

A military honors service and interment will take place at Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego, CA, on December 22, 2026, at 11:30 AM (guests are asked to arrive at the staging area by 11:15 AM). A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at the Poway VFW.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or a local Alzheimer’s charity of your choice.