If you love to travel and can be moved to tears or fits of laughter when reading a great book, then you would have loved Lester (Buddy) Emerson Wells, Jr., a long-time resident of Dallas, who passed away with family at his side on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham, TX. Les was a consummate friend, colleague and father who thoroughly enjoyed living his adventurous life for 83 years!

Born in Terre Haute, IN to Lester E. Sr. & Wilma (Kandel) Wells, Les grew up in Washington Heights, NYC, was confirmed at St Matthews Ev. Lutheran Church, the oldest Lutheran congregation in North America, and graduated with honors from Stuyvesant High School in NYC and received his degree from Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, in Evanston, IL. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

After serving in the US Army in Germany, Les pursued his love of writing working for United Press International before moving Washington, DC and into public relations working for a former Press Aide to President Eisenhower. He returned to NYC, joining the Philip Lesley Co. before moving to Dallas in 1969 and working for The Bloom Agency. Following a period in Pittsburgh, PA handling PR for PPG, Les returned again to Dallas and later became a founding partner in Hopkins & Wells and owner and principal of Wells & Associates.
Les was a member of the National Press Club, and was an award winning writer handling PR for some of the largest companies in the country and writing speeches for prominent business leaders and politicians including W. Paul Thayer, the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense in the Reagan Administration.

Les was an avid athlete and sports fan. He played minor league baseball, enjoyed wrestling during his time at NU, and even once tried his hands at boxing in the Chicago Golden Gloves tournament. He was a lifelong Brooklyn Dodgers fan, attending many World Series games, a season ticket holder of the NY Giants while in NYC and a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Les absolutely loved to travel, and journeyed extensively in Europe, Africa, Australasia and Asia including visiting Ladakh,the Hindu Kush and Himalaya mountains, traveling the length of Nepal, China, India, Japan, Thailand, etc. Other than on safari in east Africa, it was New Zealand that captured his heart where, despite being well into his 60's, he was found bungee jumping 143ft off a bridge spanning the Kawarau River.

Les was preceded in death by his parents and sister Barbara Cardazone, and is survived by his three children, Colleen Wells and her husband Wayne Miller of Anna, TX., Kenneth Andrew Wells of Dallas, TX, Charles Bradford Wells of Los Angeles, CA, sister Deborah Wells of Battle Ground, WA, cousins, nieces, nephews, and the mother of his children, Phyllis Wells.

In keeping with Les' wishes, a private service will be held in Oregon at a later date, where his ashes will be laid to rest with his Mom. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lester's memory can be made to St. Jude's Children Hospital, the ALS Foundation of Texas or DFW Rescue Me.