Dellis Wright was born 18th March 1933 to Delbert Carlos and Orilla Chloe Broadbent Wright in Thayne, Uinta, Wyoming. He was the fifth of six children; Florence (Stanley Hokanson), Ruth (Ralph Coy), Carlos (Marie), Robert (Kay), and Doris (Val Erickson). Dellis was born just after midnight. He had been born prematurely and wasn't expected to live. As such was only given a first name of Dellis with no middle name.

Throughout high school, Dellis worked for LaVard Jackson, picking up milk from all the local farms and delivering them to the creamery. After graduation, Dellis went to work North of Jackson Hole, Wyoming on the Jackson Lake Lodge. There he did his apprenticeship in carpentry and learned the fine art of working concrete. He also met Betty Pearl Harris there. The two were wed on the 3 July 1954, and made their home in Boise, Idaho. To their union was born Robert Carlos (Kathy), Edwin Andrew, Anna Marie (Doyle Robertson), and Donald Phillip. Dellis was drafted into the Korean conflict shortly after he and Betty were married. At the time, they were not keeping service men with small children on active duty. Upon finishing basic training, Dellis received greetings that Betty had given birth to their first child, Bob. His status was changed from active to inactive reserve. He served eight years in the Army Reserves.

Betty and Dellis, on the 4 ^th July weekend 1965, took their family camping at Payette Lake. On the return trip home, July 5 ^th , near Council, Idaho, a pick-up pulled into their lane coming up hill, and hit them head on. Donny was killed, and Anna Marie was the only one of them that wasn't hospitalized. Donny's death was the end of Dellis and Betty's marriage.

Dellis then enrolled at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho in their electronics program, where he attended for a semester. After his divorce was granted, he dropped out and enlisted in the United States Naval Mobile Construction Builders. After basic training, his unit, NMCB11, was shipped to Vietnam. They were stationed 13 miles off the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), and 7 miles to Dong Haw. They were set to the tasks to build the camp which would later be known as Camp Barnes, and to protect the Marines and ammo dump stationed there. Dellis was the first injury in his unit, and Barnes for whom the camp was named the first casualty. Barnes died the same night Dellis was injured.

Dellis had started a letter writing correspondence with the nurse that had taken care of him in the hospital when Donny was killed before leaving for Vietnam. Their entire courtship was through the mail. On the 30 July 1968 in the Boise 2nd Ward Church shortly after being released from the Navy, Dellis took Carolyn Jean Davison as his second wife.

In 1970, Dellis and Carolyn expecting what would turn out to be their only child, Angela (Paul Notarangelo), purchased a mobile home and set it up in Meridian, Idaho. Dellis worked various construction jobs to support them. Thirteen months after Angela was born, with the construction market dried up and only $60 in their pockets, Dellis moved his family to Rexburg, Idaho. They moved into Siepert's Trailer Court on the Rexburg edge of Hibbard. In less than a week Dellis was back to work. Carolyn went to work at Madison Memorial Hospital where she worked for 33 ½ years. In 1974, Dellis and Carolyn bought 2 acres in Burton west of Rexburg.

In the winter of 1975-76, Dellis was working on the Teton Dam project. He witnessed them placing rock over snow and ice. He told the powers that be it would never hold. They said he didn't know what he was talking about and to leave the thinking to the engineers. He couldn't in good conscience continue to work on the dam. He was without work the rest of the winter. He was home when the dam gave way on the 5 June 1976. Once receiving the call to evacuate, he hitched up his boat, and took Angela to the hospital. They stood on top of the hospital with some of the hospital staff watching as the flood crossed Smith Park taking houses that were not anchored down to their foundations with it. Everyone stood in silence. Dellis acted as telephone for the hospital as the lines were all down. He was given a pass by the local commander for the various check points set up by the National Guard.

Dellis was involved in much of the reconstruction of the Upper Snake River Valley. One of the first projects of which, was the bridge across the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, and ending with him working with his son Ed on the hundred plus concrete structures along the freeway, stretching from West Main Street in Rexburg to the South freeway over pass in Rigby.

In 1985, Dellis went to driving school bus. One of the kids he transported would later become his doctor. In 1989 Dellis had to have his shoulder worked on again. That spring Dellis threw blood clots through his lungs. He briefly tried to work after that, but simply couldn't manage.
Before his forced retirement, Dellis and his family often went fishing, camping, and road tripping. They made one final family trip in August of 1989 to Mount Rushmore with Angela before she headed off to college. Afterwards, Dellis and Carolyn made fewer and fewer trips. Camping came to a halt, and the fishing gear collected dust.

Dellis suffered his first heart attack in the winter of 2002. He had a triple bypass surgery in 2003. As time went on, mobility became more and more difficult for him. Holding his chair in place became his biggest past time.

Dellis and Carolyn have celebrated 53 years and two months of marriage together, and shared a lifetime of memories. Dellis is survived by his wife Carolyn, brother Robert, children Bob, Ed, Anna Marie, and Angela, 9 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, a step granddaughter, and many nieces and nephews.