Former Rogers alderman Wright dies at 84

Buddy Wright, a former Rogers City Council member for 16 years, died Friday (Sept. 16). He was 84. An obituary did not include a cause of death.

Voters elected Wright to the city council in 2002, holding the seat until 2018, when he did not seek re-election. Upon his retirement, Rogers Mayor Greg Hines presented Wright with a key to the city.

Wright was also a member of the city’s advertising and promotion commission.

“I always appreciated his thoughtfulness and sincere concern for the employees of the city in a very balanced way with the type of governance the electorate expected,” said Hines, a city council member for 12 years (1998-2010) and mayor since 2011. “I’ve never known anyone more kind than Buddy. His steady leadership and service in public, private and philanthropic causes were almost unparalleled over his career.”

Wright was born in Garfield and was a lifelong Benton County resident. He spent nearly half his life working for the former Bab Maloney Ford-Mercury dealership on New Hope Road, where he was the longtime general manager.

“Buddy had a devotion to family like no other, and it was easy to tell what was most important to him,” Hines said. “Of all my interactions over the years with Buddy, I’ll mostly remember his friendship. If you were lucky enough to call Buddy a friend, you felt a love and support that was indeed special. My deepest thoughts are with his family.”

Funeral services are scheduled for Friday (Sept. 23) at 10:10 a.m. at Garfield Baptist Church.