The world lost Ethelyn Francis Wright Register on June 17, 2025 at 5:31pm. The daughter of a suffragette and a boat captain, she was primed at birth to lead those around her with confidence and poise. She did so as the president of the League of Women Voters, the president of Virginia Beach Democratic Committee, the Queen of the Nile, in her work at the city attorneys office, and as a proud (and nude) Westminster Calendar Girl. Her most treasured reign, however, was as the matriarch of the Owens/Register family, who especially appreciated her quick wit, strong moral compass, knack for poignant and timely revelations, and storytelling of family lore. Her favorite pastimes included witnessing the evolution of landscape as she drove across the U.S., which she did countless times, and embracing travel and culture through the stories and lives of those she met on her journeys. She offered a genuine interest and friendly ear to all, making it no surprise that she was beloved by so many. She passed with the same grace, courage and dignity with which she lived her life, and was surrounded by family until the end.

She is preceded in death by her father, Frank Wright Sr., mother, Essie Mae Wright, sister, Delma Mae Wright, brother, Frank Wright Jr, and son, David Duncan Owens. She is survived by her daughters Gayle and Lu Ann, daughter-in-law Terry, son Richard, grandchildren Cedar, Melissa, Duncan, and Leah, and her great-grandchildren William, Alistair, Ava and Jamie. She will be fiercely missed.

There will be a celebration of life at Westminster Canterbury in Virginia Beach on Saturday June 21, 2025 at 11 am.