Chronicle:

Midwest Communications Pres./CEO Duke Wright (Duey E. Wright, Jr.) passed away Dec. 21 at the age of 83. Wright helped found Midwest in 1958 after convincing his parents to purchase the 1400 AM license in Wausau, WI. The station relaunched above the family music store as Top 40 WRIG. After graduating college, Wright began expanding the privately held company into other markets. Midwest currently owns stations in 18 markets including Country WNCY & WGEE/Appleton, WI; WNWN/Battle Creek, MI; KTCO & KDKE/Duluth, MN; WLYD/Evansville, IN; KVOX/Fargo, ND; WDKF/Green Bay, WI; WUSZ & WDKE/Hibbing, MN; WWDK/Jackson, MI; WDKW/Knoxville, TN; WXCL/Peoria, IL; WBFM/Sheboygan, WI; KTWB/Sioux Falls, SD; WTHI/Terre Haute, IN; and WDEZ/Wausau, WI. See a timeline of Wright’s ownership here. He was inducted into The Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1989 and received the Conclave Rockwell Lifetime Award in 2016. Three of Wright’s four children work for Midwest: COO Michael Wright, CMO Mary Kay Wright and CSO Jeff Wright. They, along with Wright's wife and partner of 50 years, Pegge Wright, will now lead the company.

A receiving of friends is being held today (12/28) from 4-8pm CT at Lyndahl Funeral Home (1350 Lombardi Avenue, Green Bay, WI 54304) and tomorrow (12/29) from 2-3pm CT at Christ Alone Church (505 E. Allouez Avenue, Green Bay, WI 54301). Funeral services will be held immediately following at Christ Alone with burial to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Green Bay Humane Society. Complete obituary here.