Annye M.

Wright

Annye Mae “Pete” Martin Wright was the daughter of Oscar Martin and Estell Peoples. She was born April 9, 1933. As a Greensboro native, she attended Greensboro Public Schools, graduating from James B. Dudley High School in the Class of 1951. In 1955, she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennett College for Women. “Pete” departed this life on September 27, 2026.

From about the age of four, “Pete,” as she was fondly called, was raised by her paternal grandmother, Bettye F. Martin. Her initial guardian, Uncle Lacy, had wanted a son, so he nicknamed his darling niece “Pete.”

Her BA degree in Social Studies and History from Bennett College and her Elementary Education Certificate, earned from North Carolina A & T State University in 1956, laid the foundation for her accomplished 32-year teaching career in the Greensboro Public Schools System. “Pete’s” accomplishments, awards and recognitions have been extraordinary, as they have all, in one way or another, related to her passion for education.

As a community volunteer, “Pete” worked with NAACP Youth Services Corp. and RELA (RESEARCH, Education, and Literary Association), served as coordinator for RIFF (Reading is Fundamental), participated in project Uplift, served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader and camp counselor, held numerous positions with PTSA, worked with Court Watch—an Afro-American Genealogy History Society, and served as co-chair of the Benbow Park Neighborhood Association.

As a member of Saint Matthews United Methodist Church, in addition to singing with various choirs, “Pete” served in several capacities with the United Methodist Women, such as on the Commission on Status of Women and as a delegate to the Western North Carolina Conference. She was involved in the “Golden Superlatives” exercise group, the Atalia—Program Resources with Saint Matthews, the E.Y.G. (Ever Young Group), and the Wednesday morning Bible study class. She was Woman of the Year in 2011, and in 2013, the Greensboro Chapter of Bennett College nominated Pete as the Unsung Heroine of the Year.

Pete is most remembered for her desire to provide a superlative education for African American children when forced busing was implemented in Greensboro. This is highlighted by the development of a summer school program that did not occur on a school campus but in Saint Matthews United Methodist Church, and by the Saint Matthews Family Enrichment Afterschool Program.

“Pete” was preceded in death by her husband, Louie A. Wright, Jr., a U.S. postal worker. Left to cherish her memory are her son, Roynald (Tandra); daughter, Crystal; grandchildren, Atiyah, Nadia, Roynald, Jr. and Cameron Moore; goddaughter, Wanda Moone; friend, Monica Moore; other friends; close cousins; and other relatives.

Our thanks to Griswold Home Care and our mother’s caregiver, Shy.

A memorial service will be held on on Saturday, October 17 at St. Matthews United Methodist Church, 600 E. Florida Street, Greensboro; visitation with the family begin 11:30 am followed by the service at 12:00 pm.