Joseph “Joe Joe” Bright passed away on Saturday, June 6, in Greeley, Colorado, at age 64. Born in Brigham City, Utah, to Charles and Patricia Bright, he grew up in a lively Evanston Victorian home with seven siblings — and allegedly a ghost or two — sparking his lifelong love for the macabre and a delightfully dark sense of humor.
Joe lived life entirely on his own terms as a musician, traveler and storyteller. His adventures spanned serving an LDS mission in New Zealand, touring Europe and Canada with a dance group and working the Wyoming oil fields before earning an English degree at Utah State University.
He went on to work as a technical writer for Thiokol and taught English in Hawaii and California, where he began writing the novels that had long lived in his imagination. Whether wandering through his beloved Italy or watching terrible horror movies in his Fort Collins man cave, Joe was always laughing. His simple advice to the world was: “Just enjoy life — really live it and enjoy it.”
He is survived by his mother, Patricia; his former wife, Bonnie; brothers, Forrest (Patti), Kalei (Vicki) and Tristram; sisters, Kathy and Mary; and goddaughter, Rebecca Neal (Bryan).
He was preceded in death by his father, Charles; siblings, Adrian and Lanice; and niece, Alexis.
In true Joe fashion, he left us with instructions: No black, no sadness — just the people he loved and the laughter he lived for.
A viewing will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at the Roundhouse in Evanston, followed by a celebration of life at 2 pm. Interment will follow at the Evanston City Cemetery. Color encouraged, joy required.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made via Venmo to @Kalei-Bright-2.
From his original song, “A Beautiful Life”…
“Something that I am, never part of the plan, from cradle to grave, what a life we have made, darkness and light, revered and defined, a beautiful life … God only knows, it’s written in the stars … summoned by the wind, with me till the end, a beautiful life.” – Joe Bright
