Herschel Leon Wright

Herschel Leon Wright, Jr., known to family and friends as “Buddy”, passed away peacefully at Catawba Valley Medical Center on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Born in Kings Mountain, NC to the late Herschel and Mabel Wright, Buddy married his college sweetheart, Kay Rogers on June 4, 1967. Their union provided him not only a devoted spouse, but also a cherished family who embraced him as their own.

Though Buddy earned his Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, his intellectual curiosity never faded; he remained an avid learner. His interests were diverse, from classic literature to comic books to in-depth study of the Bible. Buddy was a member of Three Forks Baptist Church and maintained a steadfast commitment to teaching Sunday School for more than forty years. He also took pleasure in preparing for and teaching Adult VBS each summer and narrating the church’s Easter and Christmas cantatas.

Buddy’s legacy will continue through the lives of the family he loved; his wife of 58 years, Kay Rogers Wright; his daughters and sons-in-law, Dori and Philip Maltba, Ashli and Matthew Elder; his four adoring granddaughters and their families, Caroline, Griffin and Cole Mease, Kinsey Elder and fiancé, Ivan Gonzalez Medina, Hannah and Zach Patterson, Emma, Logan and Ava Anderson. Others who remain to carry on his memory include his in-law siblings, nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Buddy was preceded in death by his father and mother-in-law, Howard and Camila Rogers and his treasured granddaughter, Kady Elder, who brought him an endless amount of joy.

Services to honor Buddy’s life will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at Three Forks Baptist Church. Dr. Carson Moseley will officiate. The family will receive friends beginning at 1:30 p.m. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery.

Buddy cared about people. To honor his memory, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Three Forks Baptist Church Comfort and Care Ministry, 4685 Three Forks Church Road, Taylorsville, NC 288681, will be appreciated.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Alexander Funeral and Cremation Service.

Condolences may be sent to www.alexfuneralservice.com