Boomer Wright, Rooted on the Coast

Gerald Duane "Boomer" Wright is the newly elected State Representative for Oregon’s House District 9, spanning the coast from Coos Bay up to Yachats and then east to Mapleton and Triangle Lake. Boomer has lived on the coast for nearly 50 years.

Family

Boomer has been married to his wife, Susan, for 27 years. She is a well-respected nurse in Florence. They live in Reedsport with their dog, Winston and cat, Marvin. They have 4 adult children and 7 amazing grandchildren.

Boomer and his first wife Andrea had two children, Kelli and Byron who both graduated from Siuslaw High School. Unfortunately, Andrea passed away in 1991 after a 5-year battle due to a cancerous brain tumor.

Early Life and Education

Boomer was raised in Lorane, just west of Cottage Grove. His parents owned and worked a 119-acre farm at the end of the gravel road nestled in a small beautiful valley in the Coast Range Mountains. After graduation, he worked at Roseboro Lumber Company. He moved to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon while working a swing shift at Weyerhaeuser as a glue mixer to pay his way.

A Lifetime of Teaching & Serving

After the U of O, Boomer acquired a degree in Elementary Education and a teaching job in Florence, only planning to stay one year. After a couple of months, the principal entered Boomer’s 3rd grade classroom and told him he was doing a great job and would get a raise. Then he said they were going to fire the rest of the teachers in the building but that if they opened all the doors of the other classrooms Boomer could teach the whole school from his room. A later memo identified him as “the Boomer” in room 32, and it stuck.

For 31 years Boomer taught third through sixth grade, served as a principal of an elementary and then a middle school, and completed his career in education as the Superintendent of the Mapleton School District.

To this day, Boomer continues to substitute teach at the Siuslaw and Reedsport School Districts and enjoys working with our bright and energetic high school students.

Post Education Career

Boomer was not ready for retirement so he got a job as the educational liaison for SELCO Credit union, then as the manager for the Sea Lion Caves. He ran this successful retail business for 5 years and had experience directing boards, overseeing million-dollar budgets, and worked with Travel Oregon to bring further tourism to the Oregon Coast.

 Community Service

Boomer has served and been a member of the local Elks, Lions, and Rotary Clubs. He also served on the Commission on Children of Lane County and Oregon Together. He has served as Cub Scout Den Leader and Boy Scout Chair Person of local Troop 777 and coached both baseball and girls softball teams. He was also recognized nationally for his successful Million Minutes Reading program while principal of Rhododendron Elementary K-5.