Page 4 - Gears and Ears May 2013

Member Profile

Phil Wright

When joined club: September 1 , 1984
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Education: High School

Marital status: Married to Maxine Brooks Wright for 48 years

First job: Cleaning floors in the Engineering Department of the Royal

York Hotel Toronto, Canada.

Most fun job: Assistant General Manager then General Manager of
the Royal Plaza Hotel – Walt Disney World.

Career background: Began at 18 years of age at the Royal York Hotel, Totonto, Canada then to
the Toronto Airport Hotel. The Constellation then off to the Bahamas to Nassau at the British
Colonial Hotel then the Nassau Harbor Club, moved up to Freeport, Grandbahama to the Lucatan
Beach Hotel and Casino, the the Kings Inn and Golf Club, the Lucayan Harbor Inn, then to
Oceanus North & South Hotels and then to the Shalimar Hotel…left the Bahamas for the Diplomat
Hotel in Hollywood, Florida and the travelled to Orlando and the Royal Plaza Hotel, then to the
Buena Vista Palace and finally to the Travelodge Hotel (now the Best Western) all in Downtown
Disney area.

Why did you join Rotary? Forced in club by Rotarian Harold Davis!

Are you a Paul Harris Fellow? Yes – five times!

What other Rotary honors have you been awarded? Rotarian of the year 2011 and others (I’m
old and can’t remember all of them!!)

What club positions have you held in Rotary: Member, Secretary, President Elect, President
1986 -1987, End of year banquet chair, Annual golf event chair & Director of Public Relations

Which committee (avenue of service) interests you? International Service

Current employer/ position: My beautiful loving wife…!’m retired.

Travel interests: Travelling to Europe, England, Canada and thru the United States

Something we don’t know about you! Made close friendship with Bob Hope and Michael
Jackson and had Suites built for them at the Hotel Royal Plaza that were strongly promoted
including a new program then called “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”.

Also I was named Philip when should have been Louis Nolan (The man who by error led the
“Charge of the Light Brigade”)